The discovery of meth worth over $4 million suggests only one thing, the meth trade in the country is bigger than what was previously thought. It also points to loopholes allowing the narcotic to sip into the country.

The efforts of the Ministry of Customs and Revenue and the Samoa Police must be commended. The illicit substance was detected through profiling, a container X-ray scanner, and a joint operation with the Police K9 Unit.

Police Commissioner Auapa’au Logoitino Filipo confirmed that the total value of the confiscated drugs exceeded AU$2 million, with each kilogram valued at approximately AU $250,000. "So, with 10 kgs, that’s over AUD$2 million.”

It is time to stop burying our heads in the sand. Just because the thought of meth being circulated in the country at such a large scale is unpleasant, does not mean we continue to ignore it. This is Samoa’s biggest meth bust yet and from what can be seen from around the Pacific, the amounts being seized will keep getting bigger.

This seizure suggests the existence of organised crime rings in the country working in cohorts with people with the ability to bring meth into the country. Meth is money and the lure for large sums of money in a small time has lured many into this trade.

Some involved may not even be users but will poison the nation because they can profit from it. This is not a pleasant thought but it is the reality. The organised structure is complex and runs like a well-oiled machine. Part of this machine includes the involvement of government officials who are on the payroll for those involved in the meth trade.

Combatting the meth scourge is not easy. Laws need to be changed and a special unit needs to be set up with people who would not be corrupted. We need to ensure that our border security is stringent and does not allow meth to come into the country, at this point, a lot needs to be done.

The lawmakers and our elected leaders need to get their act together. There has been no serious consideration given to the meth problem. We have not heard of any discussions or laws that would be changed or made to counter the issue.

One of the biggest drivers of meth is poverty. There has been a failure at all levels to address poverty or provide a welfare scheme that would benefit families. More children are not attending schools because it is too expensive and the failure to educate poor families on family planning matters is leading to children in double digits.

For people in such situations, meth is an answer to poverty. It is already a fact that some street vendors are the point of sale for meth, the runners at the end game of the organised structure. Selling meth brings in more money than selling water and Bongo. The profit is even greater for those sitting on the top.

As it is happening in other places, soon users will start injecting meth. This will give rise to an increase in diseases such as HIV/AIDS because these needles will be shared. The health ministry will be burdened even more.

On a larger scale, the seizure has connected more dots to the transnational movement. The seizure has pointed out the route that meth is coming into the country. The meth seems more for local sale and less likely to be moved out of Samoa.

Last week 1.1 tonnes of meth was caught in Fiji. The operation in the neighbouring country is at a far larger scale and hints at being a distribution point. This week the Fijian government asked the military to join the drug war as they suspected an international drug kingpin to be in the country and they could no longer have the full trust of the police because of corruption.

We are leading towards such a scenario. Corruption is aiding the meth trade and this has to be weeded out. Previously, the meth seizures were in grams, now it is in kilos and soon we too will have tonnes being brought in.

Wake up if you are still sleeping. Take action now, this narcotic will destroy the very fabric of Samoan lives.