Praneeta Prakash 
Police Commissioner Rusiate Tudravu has set the record straight, stating that Operation Sasamaki is equally focused on white and green drugs.
He says that the common narrative is that drug operations are too focused on marijuana and not enough on methamphetamine, which is more harmful.
Tudravu says the number of illicit drug cases registered last month recorded an increase of 75 percent.
Police Commissioner Rusiate Tudravu [File Photo]
He says they are now entering Wave 3 of Operation Sasamaki.
Tudravu says of the 215 cases recorded, 190 were related to unlawful possession of illicit drugs, and 25 were cases of unlawful cultivation of illicit drugs.
He stresses that in April alone, police recorded 195 marijuana cases and 20 methamphetamine cases, reflecting the current trends in local drug activity.
“The arrests and seizures in relation to marijuana are more as cultivation is taking place in Fiji, and therefore supply is more. This is why we have teams who are on rotation and camping in known cultivating areas.”
Tudravu says low-grade meth production in Fiji results in fewer arrests but insists police operations target all illicit drugs equally.
“Whether green or white, the momentum of operations remains the same for both, and we have in recent weeks made a number of arrests also for proceeds of crimes, signifying that we are closing in on those at the head of the supply.”
The commissioner is calling on the public to continue supporting the police in their efforts, warning that both marijuana and methamphetamine pose serious risks to individuals, families, and communities.
Stream the best of Fiji on VITI+. Anytime. Anywhere.
