Members of the public have expressed alarm to news of the drugs that were intercepted by Samoa customs at Faleolo Airport. They were found on a 24 year old Vietnamese woman who was traveling to the territory from Singapore via Fiji and Apia.
The woman, identified as An Tran Thai, was found with pills that contained heroin and cocaine, valued by Samoa police at $400,000 tala.
One resident said she’s thankful to the Samoan authorities for intercepting the drugs, saying that even if customs here finds drugs and turns the case to police, it doesn’t always result in prosecution.
A comment on Talanei urges American Samoa Homeland Security and police coordinate with the Samoa Police and if indeed this woman is a business owner here to find her business location and do a complete search as there’s now probable cause.
In response to KHJ News questions yesterday, AS Director of Homeland Security Samana Semo Veavea said investigators are going to two establishments that the woman may be connected to.
While it was initially reported that the woman owns a business here. Samana said they’ve established that this is not the case.
Asked if the woman has an American Samoa Immigration ID, Samana said they don’t know at this stage.
He did reveal that the woman traveled with four men, and two of them made their way to the territory. Samana said they haven’t been able to locate the other two men.
The Homeland Security director said his department is working closely with Samoa police on the case and with the Transnational Crime Unit which includes Australia, New Zealand and Pacific Islands.
Efforts to get a comment from Commissioner of Public Safety Lei Sonny Thompson were not successful.
