The son of a man allegedly murdered in a New Zealand killing linked to a United States-based organised crime group remains on the run after escaping police custody, despite one of his fellow escapees being recaptured.
Tonga Police confirmed yesterday that one of the detainees who escaped from the Central Police Station in Nuku’alofa had been apprehended on Wendesday and returned to custody. The search, however, continues for Liuaki Fungalei Kokohu Vi, who police have described as a high-risk escapee.
Police are urging anyone with information about Vi’s whereabouts to contact emergency number 922, call 740-1656, or report to the nearest police station. Authorities also warned that it is an offence to aid, harbour or assist a person who has escaped from lawful custody.
Vi’s case has attracted attention in both Tonga and New Zealand because of his family’s connection to a major transnational organised crime investigation.
According to reporting by Radio New Zealand (RNZ), Vi is the son of Tuipulotu Vi, who was allegedly murdered in Auckland in August 2024 by a hitman sent from the United States. Three men have been jointly charged with the killing, which New Zealand Police allege was linked to a criminal syndicate operating across North America and New Zealand. The charges remain before the courts.
RNZ reported that the homicide investigation, known as Operation Block, was connected to Operation Mexted, a joint investigation by New Zealand Police’s National Organised Crime Group and Customs.
That investigation began after Customs intercepted a shipment containing 18 kilograms of cocaine and six prohibited semi-automatic pistols in January 2024. Police later alleged the syndicate had attempted to import more than 125 kilograms of controlled drugs into New Zealand.
Investigators believe a series of shootings in South Auckland followed the drug seizure, with Vi reportedly among those targeted.
Tonga Police have not linked Vi’s escape to those investigations, but Police Commissioner Geoff Turner said authorities regard him as a dangerous escapee because of his criminal history.
Speaking at a media briefing earlier this week, Turner announced an internal investigation into how the detainees escaped from the Central Police Station.
“To be able to walk out of a police station and pretty much disappear, there has got to be outside help,” he said, adding that investigators were examining whether corruption, security failures or other factors contributed to the escape.
Turner said police had already identified weaknesses in the station’s holding cells before the incident and had scheduled security upgrades with a specialist contractor. He said the work would proceed as planned using existing government funding.
Police have offered a reward of up to TP$5,000 for information leading to the recapture of each escapee. One adult and a 16-year-old have since been returned to custody, leaving Vi as the only remaining fugitive.
