The hunt for Fiji’s drug trade kingpins is far from over, with Police Commissioner Rusiate Tudravu admitting that the “big fish” behind the illegal industry are still out there.
While thousands of marijuana plants are being uprooted and drugs seized, police say the bigger challenge is identifying the financiers, importers and networks behind the lucrative trade.
“There are big fish out there,” Mr Tudravu said, admitting that police investigations must go beyond small-scale cultivators to expose the financiers, importers and connections driving the lucrative trade.
He acknowledged public concerns that enforcement operations appeared to be targeting smaller players while the major figures behind the industry remained at large.
Mr Tudravu said identifying the links between those involved was a critical part of ongoing investigations.
His comments followed questions about more than 8000 marijuana plants reportedly uprooted in the Northern Division and methamphetamine seizures in the Western Division, with police asked how many major financiers and importers had been arrested.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Operations Kasiano Vusonilawe confirmed that marijuana eradication operations were continuing nationwide, revealing that the number of plants uprooted was higher than figures already reported.
“It’s true that we have uprooted that much green drugs, but it’s more than that,” he said.
Assistant Commissioner for Crimes Loraini Seru said police were also following the money through investigations conducted by the Anti-Money Laundering and Proceeds of Crime Unit.
She said the unit examined the financial aspects of serious offences separately from criminal investigations, working in consultation with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
This included tracing the source of money and identifying alleged proceeds generated through serious criminal activities, including drug-related offences.
Mr Tudravu said uncovering the connections behind the operations remained central to police efforts to dismantle the drug trade.
