Police Intensify Drug Crackdown as Arrests Continue Across Fiji

Police have stepped up operations against illicit drugs, with arrests continuing across Fiji for alleged unlawful cultivation and possession of narcotics.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Operations Kasiano Vusonilawe said arrests are being made through frontline policing operations as well as the Joint Task Force, supported by the Republic of Fiji Military Forces in Nadi and Lautoka.

Over the past week, police recorded arrests for alleged unlawful cultivation of illicit drugs in Savusavu and Taveuni, while cases involving alleged unlawful possession were recorded across the other four policing divisions.

Police also seized cash believed to be proceeds of crime during the operations.

In Ba, officers conducting beat patrols encountered three men who were allegedly behaving suspiciously. The men fled when officers approached them.

During the chase, one of the suspects allegedly dropped a plastic bag containing several sachets of dried leaves believed to be marijuana.

Police say the identities of the three suspects are known.

ACP Vusonilawe said enforcement efforts are targeting both green and white drugs, with some of those arrested being repeat offenders.

He said police were also strengthening their operational capabilities through the Fiji Detector Dog Unit and cooperation with other law enforcement agencies.

According to Vusonilawe, the coordinated approach is aimed at disrupting the illicit drug trade and curbing the availability of drugs in communities.

Members of the public are being urged to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities or suspected drug-related offences by calling 1681.

Police say public cooperation remains important in the ongoing fight against illicit drugs.