RNZ Pacific has contacted the Customs Ministry and Samoa Police for comment. Photo: RNZ Pacific/Moera Tuilaepa-Taylor
A Samoan man who was charged with importing 1.4kg of methamphetamine hidden inside a box of frozen chicken has been identified by local media as the driver of the country's minister responsible for border security and protection.
On Saturday, Samoa's Ministry of Customs and Revenue announced it had intercepted the illicit drugs, which arrived from American Samoa following a targeted operation.
"The concealment method demonstrates the continued attempts by criminal syndicates to smuggle dangerous drugs into Samoa through seemingly ordinary goods," the ministry said in a statement.
RNZ Pacific has contacted the Customs Ministry and Samoa Police for comment.
On Tuesday, the Samoa Observer reported that the man charged is employed as the driver of the Minister for Customs.
While the suspect is reported to be employed as the minister's driver, the exact details of their relationship have not been confirmed, and the investigation is ongoing.
The newspaper reported that the man faces charges of possession and importation of methamphetamine.
However, when asked to verify the suspect's role, Acting Police Commissioner Leiataua Samuelu Afamasaga told the newspaper that while he was aware that the suspect worked for the ministry, he could not confirm if he was the driver for the current minister.
The Ministry of Customs reaffirmed its commitment to protect Samoa's border and the wellbeing of all Samoans in its statement on Saturday.
