A chief is urging the Government to build a separate prison for drug offenders, saying tougher action is needed to stop drugs spreading in communities.
Tui Labasa Ratu Jone Qomate said the country needed a dedicated facility with stricter conditions and limited access.
“It should be hard for them to be visited and hard for them to come out,” he said.
Ratu Jone said current prison conditions do not deter drug dealers, who often return to crime after serving sentences.
“They should regret going back to jail.
“If they are treated the same as everyone else and given the same meals, they will not fear prison.”
He called for harsher laws and stricter punishment to protect the future generation.
“There is a need for heavier penalties and longer sentences. Giving harsher sentences and heavy penalties is important because drugs are destroying families and villages.”
On community action, he advised villagers to report drug offenders to the police rather than taking matters into their own hands.
“There is no power within the law that allows village headmen or chiefs to exile an individual or family from a village. We will let the relevant authorities do their work.
“If people take action with their own hands, they can be charged for it.
“We do not want that to happen.
“My advice to other villages is that if anyone is found with drugs, report it to the police.”
He warned that failure to act now would put future generations at risk.
“If we are not going to take action now, the future generation will be affected the most,” Ratu Jone said, urging the Government to act swiftly.
