Think you’re reading about more and more drug cases? Well you’re right

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — A report by the Department of Public Safety (DPS) Vice and Narcotics Division shows the alarming growth in the numbers of drugs cases between 2013 through 2021.

In 2013, Vice and Narcotics Unit (VNU) filed only 6 drug cases — one case involving methamphetamine (meth) and 5 cases for marijuana.

Four years later in 2017, records show the rapid increase in the number of drug cases from 6 to 50. And over the same amount of time meth cases rose from one case in 2013 to 27 cases in 2017.

In 2020, the Vice and Narcotic Division (VNU) filed 77 drug cases in court. 44 of them were for meth; 24 were marijuana cases, and 9 were a combination of meth and marijuana cases.

In 2021 as well VNU filed 77 drugs cases and arrested 65 people — 61 cases involved meth, 4 cases marijuana and 3 cases of meth and marijuana.

In the same year, VNU conducted 14 drug raids — 9 of them where only drugs were found, while in 5 of them police discovered drugs and weapons.

Records show that in 2021, VNU conducted 3 drug raids in Futiga and confiscated drugs, (including meth and marijuana), paraphernalia and cash. Several people were arrested and later charged for violating local drug laws.

According to the report, every year there is an unimaginable increase of drug cases in American Samoa — over 400 in the 9 years since 2013. And each year “the risks get higher for our people and especially for those who battle it on the frontline.

“Our children are being bullied, used, and victimized because of drugs. Mothers and fathers fall victim to this addiction and abandon their responsibilities to their families,” the report says.

The stats alone from 2021 show an alarming need to move forward to better equip and provide more resources in order to combat the war on drugs.

In January 2022, weapons, drugs and cash were discovered when police executed two search warrants in Alofau and Amouli. As a result, 3 people, including a young couple were arrested and later charged.

Evidence police collected from both raids netted 5 guns, ammunition, meth and cash.

Detectives have started using confidential informants (CIs) and in one drug raid they conducted several controlled buys and surveillances for a few months before they executed a search warrant.

Detectives conducted one drug raid in Faleniu and confiscated meth and 15 marijauna plants. One man was arrested and later charged. His case is still pending.

Two more villages were also added to the list of areas where detectives have conducted drug raids — Tafuna and Nu’uuli.

Detectives discovered a large amount of meth and a small amount of marijuana during the Tafuna drug raid, along with paraphernalia and over $11,000 in cash. Two male individuals were arrested and later charged and their cases are pending.

At the Nu’uuli drug raid, detectives confiscated numerous meth baggies and one male individual was arrested and later charged.

The report didn’t leave out two ‘surprise shakedowns’ that were conducted inside the Territorial Correctional Facility (TCF) compound — one at the female quarters in April of last year and the second one at the male Bravo Unit in August.

During the shakedown at the female quarters, police confiscated contraband including cell phones and paraphernalia including baggies containing meth. As a result, a female inmate was served with an arrest warrant and later charged.

During a shakedown at the Bravo Unit, police discovered baggies of meth, drug paraphernalia with meth residue, and scatted dry marijuana leaves. This led to two (2) male inmates being served with arrest warrants and later charged.

The presence of contraband and paraphernalia including drugs and cell phones inside TCF is one of the ongoing concerns of the High Court — as well as the Fono.

Before the Fono ended its current session last week, the House Public Safety committee held a hearing with DPS officials to discussed many issues regarding the situation at TCF. The hearing was chaired by Faipule Avagafono Tuavao Vaimaga Maiava.

One of the issues discussed during the hearing was how cell phones get inside the prison.

Deputy Commissioner of Public Safety, Terry Letuli, told lawmakers last week that guards are the main suspects linked to cell phones found in the the prison facility.

It was a social media post via cell phone by inmate Siaumau Siaumau Jr. about testing positive for COVID-19 at LBJ Hospital that spotlighted the spread of COVID in the facility; prompting government authorities to take action to separate the infected prison population.

The spotlight also — once again — highlighted the presence of cell phones in the prison.

Letuli said, cell phones are prohibited and they try to stop the smuggling of phones into the prison by holding random shakedowns.

He said that in most instances, it’s the prison guards who are the culprits.

Since the emergency declaration for COVID-19 has been in effect, no visitors have been allowed at TCF.

Faipule Avagafono, a former deputy commissioner stated that this has been going on for far too long at the TCF; and it’s time that DPS put its foot down.

Vice Speaker Fetu Fetui told the hearing that he sometimes receives calls from a nephew, who is serving time inside prison. Rep. Andra Samoa said, she too gets calls from nephews asking for data [for phones] and they’re calling from inside the correctional facility.

Lawmakers impressed upon Deputy Commissioner Letuli, that DPS needs to break this norm — of inmates possessing cellphones.

Faipule Alumamalu Filoalii Ale said that he recently parked his vehicle in front of the TCF and observed, what he described as, “so much corruption” going on at the gate.

He did not go into detail.

BACKGROUND

Drugs entering the TCF and prisoners having access to drugs has been an ongoing issue in the territory.

In April of last year, drugs and drug paraphernalia were allegedly found at the TCF during a shakedown by the DPS Vice & Narcotics Unit (VNU).

An inside source told Samoa News that the shakedown was a follow up move by detectives of the VNU regarding a package containing a huge quantity of crystalline substance which someone supposedly tried to smuggle into the TCF a few days previously.

Several police officers stormed into TCF unannounced and started the raid. Some police officers were armed during the raid while others were not.

Areas that were included in the police raid were the Pending unit, where inmates awaiting their cases are held, the old Max unit, and the unit where female inmates are detained.

During the raid, police discovered a glass pipe and a small quantity of crystalline substance inside the cell of one of the male inmates in the Pending unit.

It was during a drug sentencing hearing of a convicted felon few years back when Chief Justice Michael Kruse told the government attorney at the time that, “I used to say that immigrants were the major industry on island, but it seems that it’s now drugs that enter the territory.

He further noted one of the conditions of the 5-year probation sentence was that the defendant was subject to random drug and alcohol testing, and that this would be conducted when he is released from jail as well as during his detention period, “because I’m not sure about the facility [TCF], whether it’s drug- free or not.”

The defendant was one of the three prisoners that tested positive for meth when a random drug testing was conducted at the TCF in April of this year.

[Editor’s Note: It should be noted that without Siaumau Siaumau Jr.’s facebook post, asking for help, the spread of COVID-19 in the prison — seemingly untreated — would not have been brought to light.

The question needs to be asked: Would the prisoners have been treated as rapidly as they were, if the fb post had not been made? Another thought: If deaths had resulted from non-treatment, would they have been revealed? ra]