Defence Minister Pio Tikoduadua [file photo]

Narcotics have emerged as Fiji’s most urgent security threat, with Defence Minister Pio Tikoduadua warning the drug trade is a national crisis that requires an aggressive, well-resourced response.

The government has deployed an extra 1,000 police officers, increased the police budget, and allocated dedicated funds for targeted anti-narcotics operations.

“It’s not only the traditional threat that we are talking about.So for me, that’s my priority is to help the police deal with the narcotics. So addressing narcotics in terms of resource allocation and so forth.”

While the police remain the lead agency, Tikoduadua states the Defence Ministry is working with the Prime Minister to strengthen national security coordination including the immediate establishment of a National Security Council.

He said the war on drugs must run alongside efforts to combat rising cybercrime and the long-term threat of climate change.

On foreign security ties, Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka ruled out hosting foreign military bases, saying the matter is not negotiable.

However, he confirmed Fiji will expand defence and infrastructure cooperation with allies, including New Zealand, Australia, and the United States, as well as through regional security arrangements.

“As a responsible member of the United Nations and IMO and all those other international organizations that deal with navigation, we are obliged to offer assistance to any navigator passing through our zone, our EEZ, by providing refueling facilities, water and resupply.”

Rabuka said port upgrades would remain civilian infrastructure but may be used by passing military vessels for refuelling and resupply under international obligations.

He stressed these facilities will not be converted into military installations.

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