Crime

Drug cultivators becoming bolder

July 19, 2022 9:50 am

Police Commissioner, Brigadier General Sitiveni Qiliho admitted people are now planting marijuana without fear wherever they want.

The Police Chief says Kadavu remains a hot spot, but they are not letting their guard down in other parts of the country, where the illegal cultivation of this illicit drug has been found.

Earlier this month, the officers uprooted and destroyed over 44, 000 marijuana plants on Kadavu Island.

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Qiliho says the Police Force has suspended its drug operations in Kadavu for a month, and the results upon their return were alarming.

“We were surprised to go back and see the magnitude of farming that’s gone in again. I said previously that’s its only 10 minutes from the village, I can tell you now it’s on the preferis of the village, much much less than 10 minutes and that to us is worrying that they have the confidence to plant so close to settlements and villages.”


Police Commissioner, Brigadier General Sitiveni Qiliho

Qiliho stressed that marijuana cultivation is illegal and there is no two way about it.

“There’s already crops that are there that our forefathers from Kadavu were planting and were making money and were leaving happy but if you are doing something illegal you’ll be doing it with that worry that will come in and we’ll continue to do that, not only in Kadavu but in other areas as well.”

The Police Force has gathered that marijuana cultivation is not confined to Kadavu as it has spread to places like the upper Navosa region and Tukavesi among other places.

Qiliho says Fiji is blessed with fertile land and he advises farmers to plant other crops and vegetables that are lucrative in the long run when compared to this illicit substance.