Main meth suspects charged in French Polynesia

2:30 pm on 26 January 2019
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Photo: photo / 123R

The two main suspects in French Polynesia's first case of local methamphetamine production have been charged and placed in remand.

Toanui Rattinassamy and his partner Vanina Faua were arrested last weekend after a raid on a house on Tahiti's peninsula where they had set up a lab to produce the banned drug.

Reports say Vanina Faua had raised suspicion for buying large quantities of medicines in the greater area's pharmacies.

According to La Depeche de Tahiti, the woman confessed that they began producing methamphetmine in June, also relying on a network of other people to procure the medicines while having a network to sell the drug.

She said they used different premises to produce the drug and made about nine grams a week.

Vanina Faua also said she began consuming the drug herself a year ago while her partner has been a user for a decade.

She also accused Toanui Rattinassamy of threatening her and forcing her into drug production.

She lodged complaints of assault for which Toanui Rattinassamy is to face a separate trial in the criminal court in March.

The two risk being jailed for 20 years for the drugs offences.

In the past all methamphetamine seized in Tahiti had been smuggled in from the United States.

There have been a raft of high-profile cases in recent years.

Figures show last year 130 people were charged with methamphetamine-related offences and about 25kg of the drug were seized.