Lautoka Port

Fiji faces the highest risk of being targeted as a drug trafficking route due to its open borders.

Acting Chief Executive of Fiji Revenue and Customs Service, Malakai Naiyaga, emphasized on this stark reality during the World Customs Day commemoration.

He stressed that traffickers may exploit any entry port.

He adds that there are ongoing efforts to strengthen measures and protect Fiji from exploitation.

“We must remember that our borders are very open and there can be any entry port, we try hard to ensure that whatever we can control and we can explore new ways of detecting any of this but it requires collaboration amongst all the agencies.”

Australian Border Force Superintendent Uriah Turner says Australia remain dedicated to addressing border security matters.

“Also training and it’s not just Australia providing training to Fiji it’s also working with Fiji to help deliver training to other Pacific countries as well and that’s something we are really investing in wherever that may be in the maritime space or container and cargo targeting through Fiji’s container control program but also how to work at the border and how to work at the airport, the mail center and those sort of things.”

Meanwhile, the police are actively investigating the two drug busts in Nadi, with several individuals already being questioned. It is now confirmed that the separate incidents are related, but as of yet, no one has been charged.