So we now have local buyers of methamphetamine! That’s a pretty serious situation to be in especially when we consider they are buying from international sellers!
That revelation came from Commissioner of Police Rusiate Tudravu during the recent Nadi Business Forum.
For a long time, he said, Fiji had only been seen as a transit point for hard drugs.
Following the recent interception of more than 4kilograms of meth at the Nadi International Airport, he said, where two police officers were allegedly involved, it was found that local dealers were buying drugs from source countries.
“That 4kg meth was sent from Southeast Africa to Fiji. That is the new dimension that we are in,” he said,
“Before we were trying our best not to have buyers from Fiji but in the recent case, it has been identified during the investigation that we have somebody here whose dealing with that.”
The Police Commissioner said while they were now dealing with this new dimension of drug dealers, they have not found professional meth labs.
“All the labs that we found are by unprofessional cookers that have cooking facilities at their homes.
“The apparatus they are using are only available online and the ingredients of the white substance they are using.”
Mr Tudravu is urging stakeholders to assist the police in what he terms, “this ever-increasing complicated landscape of drugs” that Fiji is facing.
He said it was a matter of life and death “because of the young generation who are impacted by this and are the main buyers here”.
What we have here is another stage of the illegal drug trade.
We seem to be expanding in terms of the impact the trade is having on our people.
That is dangerous for the nation.
This is why we will continue to advocate for the set up of drug rehabilitation centres around the country.
We need them urgently.
This war against drugs can go on, but that requirement for rehab centres must be running parallel.
This is not just a crime problem. It is a social crisis. A public health emergency and a national security threat.
This is why we continue to call for the establishment of dedicated drug rehabilitation centres across the country.
Law enforcement is only one side of the equation. Arrests will not, by themselves, solve a problem that has roots in addiction, poverty, unemployment, and a lack of public awareness.
We say rehabilitation and recovery services must be a central part of our national response. These centres should offer not only detoxification and counselling services, but also education, job training, and reintegration support.
We must treat this issue with the seriousness it demands.
We know and can see the warning signs!
