Tongan Police seize 10 illegal firearms and over 20,000 ammunition

Tonga's Police Drug Enforcement Taskforce in a joint operation with Customs intercepted ten illegal firearms and over 20,000 live bullets, smuggled into Tonga through four different shipments from America in the first week of July.

 Three shipments were seized at the Custom Warehouse in Vava’u and one shipment was seized from one of the bondage Warehouse in Tongatapu.

 Police arrested three men in relation to these shipments - a 43-year-old man from Kameli Vava’u who has been charged with the importation of firearms and over 20,000 various ammunition without licence, a 45-yearold man from Leimatu’a and a 74-year-old man from Neiafu have been charged accordingly.

 “Police are concerned with the significant amount of firearms and ammunition that have been smuggled into the country and the risks they pose to community safety. We therefore urge members of the public to come forward with any information that will help with police investigations, said a Police statement.

 Police is asking members of the public with any information about firearms to report the matter to them.

SOURCE: PACNEWS/ONE PNG