Tongans

The number is a significant increase from 2015 when ICE recorded 16 deportations to Tonga.

According to Matangi Tonga, the report showed that in 2016, deportations to Tonga (22) were larger than that of nationals of Samoa (3), Fiji (12), New Zealand (16), Palau (10) and Papua New Guinea (1).

The Pacific Island country with the largest deportation numbers was the Marshall Islands (35). T

The country with the largest deportation numbers in 2016 altogether was Mexico (149,821).

Father Sitiveni and son, Koli Vaipulu, 28 year old Halani Fine, Samiuela Taukatelata and Sione Tauleka died when their vehicle was hit by an unladen logging truck as they left work at a kiwi fruit cool store on the night of August 2, 2016. 

The manager of the cool store, Clive Exelby told Kaniva News reports the ceremony will be held next week.

Exelby said Tongans living in the area have been invited to the memorial service that will be held on Wednesday.

There will be prayers and speeches from community leaders.

The men went out on Monday near Fonoi Ha'apai and were expected back on Tuesday night.

Tonga police sought help from the New Zealand Rescue Co-ordination Centre and the United States Coastguard to try and locate the men.

The US Coastguard used a Hercules aircraft returning from a Search and Rescue conference in Auckland.

The plane found the boat last night and the men were rescued by a Tongan navy vessel early this morning.

Hansen, 64, has been charged with 16 counts of fraud and two counts of encouraging illegal immigration for financial gain, according to U.S. District Judge Morrison England.

Hansen and his agents, who operated in such far-flung locales as Tonga and Hawaii, allegedly charged undocumented immigrants between $150 and $10,000 each on the false promise that they’d become U.S. citizens after adoption.

Sacbee reports the victims, some of them as old as 50, were also promised tax identification numbers, birth certificates, Social Security numbers and, ultimately, U.S. passports.

Police said they have a warrant to arrest Mafi for 19 charges relating to using a document and obtaining by deception.

She is 180cm tall with a solid build and has tattoos on the back of her left hand.

Mafi is thought to be somewhere in the Auckland area.

She is known to use a number of aliases including the first names of Mele, Stephanie, Chantelle, Marysienna and Luseane.

On a separate note, Police in Counties Manukau have 15 warrants to arrest Weis Donald Saafi for multiple drug charges including possession of methamphetamine.

RNZ reports parts of State Highway 2 between Wairoa and Gisborne were shut from 6am today to allow for the removal.

Two people died when the bus, carrying a student brass band from Tonga, crashed through a barrier and plunged down a bank.

The bus was removed at about 9am and the road has since re-opened, Sergeant Cory Ubels said.

Mr Ubels, the police officer in charge of the serious crash unit for the Eastern District, said recovering the bus was a very difficult task.

They are  Ulakai Fakaosilea , Amoki Matoto Fonua  and Malachi Damien Tuilotolava.

Fakaosilea and Fonua have been charged with importing/exporting and possession for supply.

Tuilotolava has been charged with importing/exporting, possession for supply, participating in an organised criminal group and money laundering.

Tongan Prime Minister ‘Akilisi Pohiva  told Parliament when he returned to Tonga after his state visit to New Zealand that he had been told a number of Tongans were involved in the drug deal.

The North Otago Tongan Engagement Group will send 21 people to the Hihifo district on the Tongan main island of Tongatapu to help buy and install rainwater catchment tanks in three local villages.

The planned trip has brought the group and members of the Waitaki Tongan Community closer together and boosted fundraising efforts.

In just over three months, the North Otago Tongan Engagement group raised $25,000. The group was formed back in February to create a stronger relationship between Tongan and non Tongan members of the Waitaki area.