Shania Shayal Prasad 
The Republic of Fiji Navy continues to support the fight against narcotics by providing intelligence, surveillance and maritime assistance to Police during major operations.
Commander Timoci Natuva says the Navy assisted authorities during the recent drug bust by monitoring vessel movements and sharing critical information from Fiji’s waters.
He says the Navy’s role is focused at sea, while direct interdiction on land remains the responsibility of Police.
“And if we have that information and we have that analysis, we hand it over to them. For example, in that case, just the day before, they requested whether we have a vessel within that area where they provided. And we deployed one of our patrol boats that, after the incident, was looking, trying to look for the alleged narcotic sub.”
Commander Natuva adds that ships were deployed between September and October last year to monitor suspicious maritime activity.
“And the ocean is quite vast. So we do what we can within the powers that we can and within the bounds of the legislation that there is, but we are always ready.”
He says strong collaboration between agencies remains key to tackling drug trafficking threats through Fiji’s maritime borders.
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