Vava’u, Tonga – An unidentified vessel was photographed in Tongan waters, lowering its crane into the sea, raising suspicions that it may have been dropping drugs at a marked location.

A town officer from Vava’u Island, Vava Lapota, shared photos showing a ship appearing to lower its crane into the water.

Photo shared by Vava Lapota in what he say’s that the vessel operating its crane out at sea.

Piveni Piukala, the Minister for Police, confirmed that he had received the photographs but did not provide further details. However, he suggested that this could be one of the methods used for smuggling illicit drugs into the country.

In response, the Tongan government announced that military personnel would soon join the police in efforts to tackle the country’s growing drug crisis.

Minister Piukala explained that this move is part of the Ministry’s broader strategy to combat drug trafficking and transnational crime. He emphasized that the army’s role would be limited to supporting the police in a patrol capacity.