Praneeta Prakash 
[File Photo]
Police investigations have not established any direct link between the rising number of missing person’s cases, recent body discoveries, and alleged criminal or drug-related activity.
Police Commissioner Rusiate Tudravu addressed growing public concern during a press conference today, following reports that several bodies discovered in recent weeks were of young people and found in a partially decomposed state.
Tudravu confirms that post-mortem examinations conducted so far have not detected drugs in the victims’ systems and have not indicated any involvement with criminal networks.
“There’s no link at this point in time. Should there be a link based on the post-mortem and the report that is given, then we will confirm that.”
However, Tudravu says police are facing challenges in missing person’s investigations, largely due to delayed or unreported cases.
“Not all missing persons are reported to us initially. This is a challenge we are facing within the Fiji Police Force, especially as we do not have dedicated teams to deal with missing persons all the time.”
He is urging families and relatives to report disappearances early to allow timely police action.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Operations Kasiano Vusonilawe is also calling on families, communities, and traditional leadership structures to take greater responsibility in monitoring the safety and whereabouts of young people.
Fijians have been assured that Police Force remains committed to transparency and will provide updates should investigations reveal any confirmed links or causes of death.
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