News

Seaports to be closely monitored for drug trafficking

October 21, 2017 10:53 pm

Seaports is an area the Police is closely monitoring to counter drugs entering our shores through containers, fishing vessels and cruise ships.

Police Commissioner Brigadier General Sitiveni Qiliho says they’re monitoring all the port of entries to ensure drugs are confiscated and arrest those involved.
He says it’s believed the port of entries around the country is an area where drug movements are heavily involved in.

“We will be moving into the seaports. We’re currently building a dog detector unit facility here in Nasova, Suva. A partnership with FRCS and the Police Force. Dog handlers from both FRCS and Police were trained in NZS and came with their dogs that was given by the NZ authorities.”

Brigadier General Qiliho believes there’s a local market actively involved in selling of hard-drugs like methamphetamine and ice who use these drugs.

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“We have information that pushes approach of people who are well-off when they refill at gas stations and also up market nightclubs in Suva during the week. Not towards the weekend but around mid-week when these people tend to go out.”

The Police Commissioner adds they’re talking to the INTERPOL to help our officers make more arrests in our port of entries.

While Fijians have commended the effort by the Police, some say more is still needed to be done.

Brig. Gen Qiliho says they will work together with the Fiji Revenue and Customs Service to ensure that our seaports are safe and free from drug traffickers.