It seems Chief Justice Patu Tiavaasu’e Falefatu has a full docket these days. There was a major drug bust at the Fagali'i airport. A 12-year old girl was nabbed with 9 bags of ganja attached to her person.

The airport where this happened is right around the corner from my house. I ride past it almost every day on my bike on my way to town.

It's just a simple airstrip surrounded by coconut palms and banana trees. There are pigs and chickens running around all over the place. It's hard to beleive that such nefarious activity (international drug smuggling) is taking place in such a bucolic setting.

Charged! 15 July 2003 A woman and her 12-year-old daughter charged over an alleged attempt to smuggle bags of marijuana to American Samoa are escorted out of the Supreme Court by Police yesterday.

They were released on bail by Chief Justice Patu Tiavaasu’e Falefatu.

They were arrested after officials at Apia’s Fagalii Airport allegedly found a number of marijuana bags taped to the girl’s body.

It came after she checked in for a flight to Pago Pago.

The mother and daughter were remanded to 28 July without pleas being taken. This will enable them time to hire a lawyer.

Chief Justice Patu ordered the woman to surrender all travel documents to the Police. He told her she must report to the Police CIB each Monday, Wednesday and Friday before noon.

Girl, 12, carrying drugs
By Jasmine Netzler and Malia Sio
11 July 2003

A 12-year-old girl was caught at Apia's Fagalii Airport trying to catch a plane to American Samoa with bags of marijuana taped to her body, Police confirmed yesterday.

Nine bags of dried marijuana leaves were seized.

The girl was taken into Police custody after the airport authority contacted the Police.

The authority had been tipped off that the girl was carrying the drugs.

Acting Police Commissioner Tuitoga Poe Ualesi, confirming details, said Police expect to make arrests.

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The girl is a regular passenger on Samoa Air flights to American Samoan, Joseph Fidow, a traffic agent at Fagalii, said.

She flies every month, he said.

The girl was with a woman who left her at the check-in point.

Mr Fidow said he checked her in but did not suspect she was carrying marijuana.

Police have previously made a series of seizures and interceptions of marijuana being smuggled to American Samoa, both by air and sea.

Last year, authorities in American Samoa expressed concern at the number of Samoans from Upolu bringing drugs into the territory.

Marijuana has even been found in umu boxes bound for American Samoa.