The Government’s announcement that it supports and has noted the interest shown by the Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF) in assisting national efforts to manage law, order and social protection will draw public attention and debate.
The statement follows Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka’s assessment that Fiji faces “serious challenges from illicit drugs and violent crimes”.
The Prime Minister was unequivocal. This Government will not tolerate criminal networks that profit from destroying lives and undermining communities.
To confront the threat, he said, enforcement will be strengthened, border controls tightened, rehabilitation programs expanded, and community-based prevention reinforced.
He also expressed confidence in the Fiji Police Force and justice institutions as they work to restore safety on streets and homes, commending Police Commissioner Rusiate Tudravu and his team for their determination to rebuild public confidence.
The Prime Minister emphasised that, with appropriate ministerial guidance, collaboration between the Police Force and the RFMF could strengthen the national response.
Where necessary, the Government will support such cooperation. He also pointed to the transnational nature of organised crime, noting that Fiji’s maritime space is a critical frontline.
Regional cooperation will be essential, with the RFMF and Fiji Navy working alongside regional partners to deter, disrupt and dismantle criminal syndicates and their business models.
There should be no illusions about the scale of the task ahead. Transnational organised crime is not a loose collection of petty offenders.
These networks are financially backed, technologically secure, highly organised and often staffed by individuals with significant expertise and reach.
They exploit weaknesses in institutions, borders and human character.
It is for this reason that one truth must never be ignored, and I raised this in September last year. Integrity is the cornerstone of law enforcement.
It is the invisible armour that protects an officer, the institution they represent, and the trust of the people they serve.
No amount of training, technology or resources can compensate for its absence. Without integrity, even the most specialised units collapse under the weight of corruption and betrayal.
History offers powerful reminders of this lesson.
In 1930s America, prohibition agent Eliot Ness was tasked with dismantling the criminal empire of Al Capone.
Chicago at the time was drowning in corruption. Capone’s wealth allowed him to infiltrate police forces, bribe politicians and compromise judges.
Almost everyone, it seemed, had a price.
Ness understood that defeating Capone required more than firepower. It required men of unshakable principle.
He selected a small team of nine agents, all young, chosen not for seniority or connections but for their integrity.
They refused bribes, resisted threats and held themselves to a standard that made them untouchable. The world would come to know them as “The Untouchables”.
Their success did not rest solely on raids and arrests, but on moral courage.
They proved that organised crime could be confronted when law enforcers themselves were beyond purchase.
That lesson applies directly to Fiji today. Integrity cannot be optional, and it cannot be assumed.
Officers entrusted with narcotics enforcement or other sensitive duties must be rigorously screened, scrutinised and continually tested.
Even then, integrity must be reinforced through leadership, accountability and culture, because temptation does not vanish once vetting is complete.
As Fiji strengthens its response to organised crime, cooperation between institutions must be matched by an uncompromising commitment to ethics.
Eliot Ness and his Untouchables showed that integrity can dismantle empires built on corruption.
We must demand nothing less from those entrusted with defending our communities, our borders and our future.
