Fasito'o-tai cracks down on drug trade
File photo: Fasitoo-Tai residents and villagers will man the road block under instructions from the Village Council. (Photo: Aufai Areta Areta)
The village of Fasito'o-tai has stepped up to assist the Police in the fight against the drug trade in the area.
The village council established a road-block on the access road that connects the area to Vailu'u-tai, Faleatiu and Satapuala.
Fasito'o-Tai's Mayor, Tagoia'ega Lumafu Levi, said they want to stop drug dealers from using the inland roads of their village to traffic in narcotics.
Four thousand marijuana plants were uncovered during a Police raid at Faleatiu and Satapuala last week.
"By tomorrow (Saturday) evening, the road-block should be up and there will be villagers assigned there to look out for motorists who are using this road," Tagoiaega said.
"It won't be like those other road-blocks made of rocks or people with guns or of any sort. We'll set up a proper chain to block the road so vehicles can be stopped and monitored."
The village Mayor said their main concern is the safety of Fasito'o-tai residents.
"Over the years, there were some incidents involving drug dealers escaping through this particular road to avoid getting arrested and they ended up creating trouble for our people," he said.
"When Satapuala, Faleatiu and Vailuu-tai are blocked due to a raid, the drug dealers escape through our village using that road hence why we're stepping up to do this and also to help prevent the flow of drugs at least on our side."
Tagoia said that with the holidays around the corner now presents a perfect opportunity to act.
"We want to have a safe and sound Christmas for families, no more trouble and worries," he said.
The road block would be manned by villagers assigned by the village council.
Asked how long the road-block will remain in operation for, Tagoia'ega declined to provide a specific answer but said it was possible it would remain in place for some time to come.
In the morning of Tuesday this week, Commissioner of Police and Correction Services, Fuiavailiili Egon Keil and 30 Police Officers successfully executed an armed drug raid confiscating thousands of marijuana from Satapuala and Faleatiu.
Officers were armed during the raid, which yielded the marijuana plants which were loaded onto awaiting Police trucks.
Another raid occurred in late October this year which led to Faleatiu setting up a similar road-block measure to counter drug trafficking in their village.
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