Tongan police

The finding eases blame on ship owners who were accused of being part of a sabotage plot after a dragging anchor left Tonga with drastically limited internet and phone services for 12 days.

The incident on 24 January sparked widespread panic and cost Tonga an estimated $US200,000.

Police launched an investigation in February to assess whether the damage to the cable was deliberate or accidental. A report was due back in July but police have refused to release the document or comment on the investigation.

In Tongatapu, there have been 46 arrests related to firearms being seized between January and June.

This does not include the amount of guns seized in the outer islands.

Four shipments in Vava'u and Tongatapu consisting of 10 illegal firearms and over 20,000 live bullets, were recently intercepted by the Police Drug Enforcement Taskforce, who carried out a joint operation with Customs.

Three men were arrested in relation to the shipments.