American Samoa’s drug problem was raised in the Samoa Parliament last week during discussion of funding to boost Samoa’s border security.
Member of Parliament Lealailepule Rimoni Aifi said plans by the government to bring in more drug sniffing canines and install a scanner at the airport are steps in the right direction.
He told Parliament of a recent drug bust in American Samoa where the value of ice confiscated was $1.3 million.
He applauded the government for considering an investment in drug detection dogs and having a scanner at the point of entry to assure drugs are not being smuggled into Samoa.
The Samoa Observer reports that the Minister of Revenue Tialavea Tionisio Hunt announced last month that the government has asked China for robotic sniffer dogs to help man its borders.
He said these are part of efforts to combat drugs being smuggled into the country from American Samoa.
Tialavea told the newspaper, “If you follow the drug problem in American Samoa it is very concerning and we have to be one step ahead and gear up to fight off this problem.”
The cost of one robotic sniffer dog is $US 600,000 and the minister said Samoa doesn’t have that kind of money so it’s requesting China to help.
The biggest drug bust in the territory so far this year is the 11 pounds of ice that came through the Post Office and addressed to a resident of Laulii in May.
Police sources say investigations for this case now involve the Federal Bureau of Investigations.
