The Fiji Detector Dog Unit (FDDU) in collaboration with the Fiji Police Force was involved in the seizure of a large volume of drugs, currencies and apparatus used to manufacture drugs in the past few months during the COVID- 19 global period.
The FDDU is a joint unit of both the Fiji Police Force and the Fiji Revenue Customs Service (FRCS), specialising in deploying detector dogs to help identify criminal activities such as identifying undeclared cash and illegal drugs at Fiji’s international borders and locally.
The FDDU was established in 2016 and since its inception the unit has effectively contributed in the detection and interception of large volumes of illicit drugs, undeclared cash, etc., and assisted in the arrests of several person of interests.
These detections saved the Fijian Government millions of dollars in social cost, had the illicit drugs made its way into our society.
The unit recently assisted in a number of raids and deployment activities of cargoes, both imports and export.
With the 117 raids throughout Fiji during the COVID-19 period, the unit assisted Fiji Police Force in the detection of large sums of currencies, methamphetamine, cannabis and paraphernalia.
The joint operation between police and Customs also led to the arrest of seventeen individuals.
The joining of forces, resources and assets of FRCS and the Fiji Police Force has seen great strides in ensuring a safer Fiji.
The FDDU has been instrumental in support of the work our frontline people do in keeping Fiji and our regional partners safe from the threats associated with trans-national criminal activities in this part of the world.
The unit is a blueprint of effective collaboration and partnership, which is admired by our partners regionally.
Support from New Zealand Customs and New Zealand Police
The effectiveness and success of the unit is very much because of the support it receives from the New Zealand Police and the New Zealand Customs Service.
The New Zealand government also played a lead role and supported the Fijian Government establish the Fiji Detector Dog Unit. FDDU’s performance is aligned with international best practices.
The establishment of FDDU demonstrates the way border enforcement agencies can collaborate to deliver outcomes that benefits a country’s best interest rather than focusing on individual goals and objectives.
The FRCS and the Fiji Police Force has seen the effectiveness in its deliveries when they join forces, share information and assets when their roles crossover on common issues such as drug trafficking, money laundering and organised crimes.
“The illegal drug trade is a global problem and we have seen how larger nations have succumbed to its impacts with families, society and economies suffering.
“Fiji is no different in that we have the same illicit drug trade to police, and while the scale may be different, it does not however mean its impacts will be less devastating,” said the Police Commissioner Brigadier General Sitiveni Qiliho.
“This is why the Fiji Police Force has and continues to work in collaboration with other stakeholders to curb and combat the illicit drug trade, and the FDDU has been a vital arm of our operations.
“Through the joint operations conducted with the FDDU, the Fiji Police Force and the FRCS have managed to successfully detect and stop the entry of illicit drugs into our country.
“Deployment of these specialised detector dogs during local raids has also achieved the desired results with seizures of green and white drugs such as methamphetamine,” Brigadier General Qiliho said.
“Policing operations have been demanding with the COVID-19 pandemic and since the announcement of Fiji’s first positive case, we have had to ensure that routine policing was not impacted in anticipation of criminal elements using any opportunity to strike.
“Illicit drug related activities were anticipated to rise and for the month of April alone we saw a 200 per cent spike in reported cases which were largely due to the increased tempo of drug operations.
“The FDDU were also deployed to a number of house raids, car searches, raids at ports of entries particularly on interisland maritime vessels which have all achieved the desired results as seizures and arrests have been made,” the police commissioner stressed.
“The support of the FDDU and FRCS has been vital during the demanding COVID-19 operational period and it sends a strong message to drug syndicates that we are not going to back down on our collective efforts to combat the illicit drug trade.
“The ongoing support of the New Zealand Government is truly appreciated not only since the establishment of the FDDU but through the various training opportunities provided for officers from both institutions to undergo specialised training in New Zealand.
“The war on drugs cannot be fought alone and its through successful collaborations with the FDDU and FRCS that we are able to make a difference in the lives of all Fijians by protecting them and their families from the harmful impacts of the illicit drug trade,” Brigadier General Qiliho said.
For more information please email us on info@ frcs.org.fj.