Samoa Police shredded and destroyed 360 illegal firearms and incinerated four kilograms of methamphetamine at their Apia headquarters earlier this week.
The Samoa Observer reports the firearms were seized from police raids and also collected during the last gun amnesty.
Minister of Police and Correction Services, Faualo Harry Schuster, said the destruction of firearms, ammunition, and illegal drugs showed the strength and resilience of national institutions.
“This is not merely a symbolic act; it is a clear and decisive statement that illegal firearms and narcotics have no place in our society, our home, or our future,” Faualo said.
The occasion also celebrated and tested a new firearm shredder machine, donated by the government of New Zealand through its partnership with the Ministry of Police.
“Every illegal firearm destroyed today represents a life potentially saved, every round of ammunition rendered unusable is a step toward a more secure society,” said Faualo, adding that every gram of narcotics incinerated was a blow to the drug trade that undermines our families, corrupts our youth, and threatens national security.
