By Lagi Keresoma/

Apia, Samoa – 30 April 2025 – A registered nurse, Sophia Ikenasio Ah Mann has been sentenced to 12 months in jail for smuggling drugs into her husband at Tanumalala Prison.

She faced two charges of possession of narcotics. On 23 November 2024, Sophia went to visit and took goods for her husband who was serving prison time.

As a mandatory criterion for all visitors to prison, Sophia and the goods were searched, and a white plaster was found on her leg.

On opening the plaster, the police officer found two zip-lock bags and in one bag was a block like a rock and the other were white particles like salt.

The items were assumed to be methamphetamine, and police were contacted, and they searched Sophia’s car where another two zip lock bags were also found.

Police later confirmed that the items found on Sophia and her car were methamphetamine.

The accused
Sophia is a 23-year-old mother who grew up at Vailima who studied nursing at the National University of Samoa and graduated in 2022.

The Court noted that her offending was well calculated and premeditated and that she tried to smuggle it into prison concealed in her pants.

The court considered as mitigating factors, her early guilty plea, her remorsefulness, her good character and her personal circumstances.

She applied for a discharge without conviction, but the Court took into account the seriousness of the offence as evident in the maximum life sentence prescribed by law for such offences.

“This reflects the will of Parliament and the seriousness by which Parliament views the possession of methamphetamine in this country,” said Justice Leiataualesa Daryl Clarke.

She is sentenced to 12 months and the time in custody to be deducted.