KHJ News received an anonymous tip more than a week ago about drugs being found in TV sets belonging to a traveler who arrived on the September 27th (Not September 13th as originally reported) Hawaiian Airlines flight.
According to sources we’ve talked to in attempts to verify the tip, three 80+inch TV sets were taken to the Customs warehouse at the airport.
On the morning that the quarantined passengers were to be released, investigators turned up at the quarantine site where the traveler was staying in hopes of questioning him.
However police security, citing quarantine regulations stopped them from entering the quarantine site.
KHJ News asked the Chief of Customs, Elisara Pita Elisara, about the case and he said that he cannot comment on an ongoing Customs investigation.
We asked if this was a Customs or Department of Public Safety investigation and Elisara repeated that he cannot comment.
Elisara asked that we forward him the information we had along with our questions and he would discuss it with “the higher ups.”
We sent him the following questions:
Is it true that TV sets brought in by a traveler (name) on the Hawaiian Air flight was found to contain drugs?
Is there an investigation into this?
We’re told that your office was ordered by higher ups to leave the matter alone. Is this true?
Is Customs still holding the TV sets?
Any other comments please?
Elisara replied, “I have no comment on any ongoing investigation by Customs.”
KHJ News received confirmation that at a staff meeting on October 4, the Chief of Customs stressed the consequences if officers are found revealing information to the media.
KHJ News asked Deputy Commissioner of Public Safety, Fo’ifua Fo’ifua Jr. and he said he doesn’t know of any such case. He added that there’s been no report to police of what we told him about drugs found in TVs.
