Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — A man who is on probation for stealing was arrested again by police on the allegation he violated local drug laws.

Uelese Toia was a passenger in a red pick-up truck that was pulled over by police two weekends ago in Iliili where two glass pipes (commonly used to smoke meth) containing white crystalline substance were found inside the right pocket of his pants.

The government claims that on the early morning of Apr. 25, 2020, two police officers patrolling the Iliili public highway observed a red pick-up truck with too many lights on the front portion of the vehicle.

Police officers immediately pulled the vehicle over to the side of the road. Three male individuals were inside the vehicle, including Toia, who was sitting in the passenger seat.

The driver of the vehicle, Upuese Apelu is the owner of the vehicle, who provided his valid immigration I.D and driver’s license to officers. The vehicle registration is valid until September 2020. Apelu received 3 traffic citations from the officers.

While officers were speaking to the driver, the defendant, Toia, opened the passenger’s door and exited the vehicle. An officer instructed Toia to stay inside the vehicle but Toia continued to walk to the back of the vehicle while at the same time trying to reach inside the rear left pocket of his pants.

As the other officer walked over to the area where Toia was standing, Toia immediately took off and ran to the other side of the road and continued fleeing from the officer. Officers, along with the help from the driver of the vehicle and another male passenger chased Toia for few minutes before he was apprehended in front of an Asian store across from the Lupelele Elementary School.

A body search was conducted on Toia where officers discovered two glass pipes containing white crystalline substance inside. The white crystalline substance was tested and turned out positive with methamphetamine.

Toia told officers he got the two glass pipes containing meth from his friend for $40, and the reason he smoked meth is to give him strength while performing his work at his plantation.

The driver of the vehicle was also interviewed by police regarding Toia’s presence inside his vehicle during the traffic stop. The driver told officers that he only knows Toia from selling his taro and bananas around their neighborhood. He was on his way to pick up his brother-in-law from work when Toia flagged down his vehicle and asked for a ride back home to Taputimu.

According to the driver’s statement, it was on their way back home with Toia and his brother-in-law when officers pulled over his vehicle for having too many lights.

Toia made his initial appearance in court. He’s charged with one count of unlawful possession of methamphetamine, a felony, punishable by term of imprisonment from 5 to 10 years, a fine not more than $20,000, or both.

Bail is set at $5,000 and preliminary examination is scheduled for Thursday this week at 10a.m.