Traffic cops doing a brisk business nabbing drivers for illegal drugs

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — A driver of the vehicle pulled over by police officers last week for a traffic violation is now in custody after officers discovered illegal drugs inside his vehicle.

The government claims that two police officers were patrolling on the Nuuuli public highways when they noticed the driver of a white pick-up heading west not wearing a seatbelt. Officers pulled over the vehicle and found out that the driver of the vehicle was Asalemo Tufa’aga, the defendant in this case.

When officers exited their police unit, they observed that the driver of the vehicle was already outside of his vehicle and attempting to walk inside an Asian store near where his vehicle was pulled over.

Officers immediately told the driver to stop walking away from them, but the driver responded that he needed to go inside the store to buy oil for his vehicle. He claimed that something happened to his vehicle while he was driving and he needed to put more oil in the vehicle’s engine.

Officers rushed to where the driver was standing and brought him back to his vehicle. While officers were speaking to the driver, one officer observed him trying to reach inside his right pocket for something.

When asked for his driver’s license, the driver told police that he lost his driver’s license last year. It was later found that Tufa’aga’s driver’s license expired in 2018.

Before the vehicle was impound by officers, an inventory search was conducted and officers discovered a glass pipe commonly used to smoke meth with white crystalline substance inside. Tufa’aga was patted down during a body search and police allegedly found a small stamp-sized baggie also containing white crystalline substance inside. The white crystalline substance was tested and the result was positive for methamphetamine.

After informing him of his constitutional rights, Tufa’aga said he understood and wished to answer questions regarding the illegal drugs discovered inside his vehicle and in his possession.

Tufa’aga confessed and told police that the illegal drugs belonged to him. He said that he just returned from the area in Vaitogi called, “Le Filifili” where he bought a stamp-sized baggie with meth inside and he put meth inside the glass pipe and smoked it.

Tufa’aga further stated to police that he often purchased meth from Le Filifili and that he never purchased more than $20 worth of methamphetamine.

The defendant made his initial appearance in court last week. He is charged with unlawful possession of methamphetamine, a felony.

His bail is set at $5,000 and his preliminary examination is set for Thursday this week.