Fiji’s Police says it is stepping up its operations to curb drug cultivation and trafficking amid increasing public reaction over the court sentences handed down to drug offenders as the country prepares for consultations on its narcotics laws.
Police Commissioner Rusiate Tudravu, in remarks during a recent drug operations update, acknowledged concerns about the perceived leniency of some court rulings.
“I cannot touch on that — that is for the court to decide,” Tudravu said. “Given the amount of resources that we are putting into trying to litigate drugs. We are doing our part. I leave it to the judiciary to do their part,” he added.
Tudravu admitted that police were “sometimes not satisfied” with sentencing outcomes but highlighted respect for the separation of powers.
“I cannot tell those in the judiciary what sentence they need to [hand down].”
He highlighted the increasing scale of marijuana cultivation.
In March alone, authorities seized 4.9 tonnes of marijuana, the bulk of it amounting to 3.5 tonnes from Kadavu.
“Even the large amount of cultivation that is currently being [reported] is some concern, and it’s a concern for us… This money — that is something that we are trying all our effort to cut it, so that these are like the first generation of people that are doing the cultivation, so that you cannot go to the next generation. That is our [goal] — there’s no new generation [involved in] cultivation.”
Tudravu also said investigators are looking into whether the drugs are being sold solely in local markets or exported.
“What we are trying to confirm now is the users, the buyers — local, or [is] there also evidence that [it] is being sold to outside of Fiji? That is something our investigators are looking into.”
His comments come as the government moves ahead with legislative reforms, with the first draft of the Counter-Narcotics Bill expected to be released soon for public consultation.
Meanwhile, as per a Supreme Court’s decision in the Kaitani case (October 2024,) new guidelines for cannabis offences were introduced, shifting the focus to drug weight rather than the number of plants. Minor cases involving less than 1 kg could attract community-based sentences or fines, while major traffickers face penalties of up to life imprisonment.
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