Major player in local illegal drug trade arrested

On Friday, officers from the Fiji Police Force’s Serious Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) Western Division arrested a man believed to be a major player in the local illegal drug trade.

Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) in charge of crime, Mesake Waqa, said the SOCU team had been gathering intelligence and information on the 29-year-old suspect’s involvement in drug trafficking.

He said white crystals identified as methamphetamine, white powder identified as cocaine and dried leaves identified as cannabis were seized during the joint raid at a house in Lautoka.

ACP Waqa said police also seized smoking paraphernalia, a digital weighing machine, a packaging machine and national and foreign currencies believed to be proceeds of crime.

Arrested along with the 29-year-old man were two other men and a 20-year-old woman.

ACP Waqa said during the execution of the search warrant, the 29-year-old suspect allegedly let his dog go and tried to flee the scene but was chased and arrested by police.

He said SOCU was previously the Narcotics Bureau of the Fiji Police Force and was recently renamed with the establishment of the Counter-Drug Bureau under the Ministry of Home Affairs and Immigration.

ACP Waqa said the arrest of the individual, believed to be a key player in the distribution of white drugs, was an important step forward in the vital role of the Fiji Police Force in reducing the supply of drugs as set out in the Anti-Drug Strategy 2023-2028.

“The renaming of the unit also reflects the FPF’s comprehensive approach to combating the illegal drug trade and related serious organised crime such as money laundering, human trafficking and arms smuggling.”

He assured the public that the Fiji Police was committed to bringing the main players in the distribution of illegal drugs to justice, adding that such efforts would take time and noted the need for an evidence-based approach to ensure successful prosecutions.

Meanwhile, in another raid, three men and two women were arrested in Namakumaqua, Serua.

ACP Waqa said a mixture of white liquid and white substance, identified as methamphetamine, was seized during the raid.