By Staff Writer
Public anticipation is bound to grow with the scheduled arrival of the NAFANUA III new police patrol boat in January at the start of the New Year 2024.
The Guardian Class Boat attracted attention in the past few days when Samoa took over ownership towards the end of last week in Australia where it was built.
The Minister of Police, Faualo Harry Schuster and Police Commissioner Auapaau Logoitino, attended the official handover ceremony to receive the NAFANUA III for Samoa.
The new patrol boat is the heart of the Samoa Police and Prisons maritime border lookout service to control smuggling, illegal fishing as well as search and rescue missions.
The coastal borders safeguarding service, ran into trouble when the previous patrol boat, NAFANUA II, ran aground on the reef at the entrance to the Savaii, Salelologa Wharf, in August 2021.
The boat was too badly damaged it was decided it would be more economical to build a new one.
Outside neighbouring enforcement support offered help to keep watch around Samoa’s maritime borders while awaiting a new patrol boat.
The NAFANUA III should be a welcoming spark to brighten up the dour, surely mood left behind as the aftermath to the loss of the damaged patrol boat.
A police disciplinary tribunal investigation blamed the NAFANUA II grounding on the officer in command at the time of the incident.
He was found guilty on three counts of negligence and fined $2000 as well as demoted from superintendent to corporal.
The Minister of Police Faualo, apologised to the Australian Government for the damaged that forced the boat to be written off, at the NAFANUA III formal hand over.
“We respectfully wish to take this opportunity to apologize to the Australian Government for this shortcoming”, Police Minister Fauolo offered in atonement.
Maritime border patrols ended in several illegal fishing arrests in the past with guilty vessels escorted into the Apia Harbour with crews on board.
Illegal drug smugglings have been reported as well but the Ministry of Police is yet to confirm the serious extend of the threat.
A more notable drug smuggling arrest was made at the Fagali’i Airport a little while back.
No drug smuggling by sea recently except for a boat from American Samoa that crossed into Samoa illegally.
Local border authorities were alerted too late to investigate or make any arrests by the time the boat dashed off agin to home port safety.
Prominent political figures were widely alleged to be behind the illegal act.