PRIME Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has confirmed to The Fiji Times a major restructuring of Fiji’s Counter Narcotics Bureau, following incidents of alleged misconduct by its officers.
He said the move would see the one-year-and-two-month-old bureau fully integrated into the Fiji Police Force, with all drug and criminal investigations handled directly by police.
For context, the bureau was established under the National Counter Narcotics Strategy 2023–2028 launched in June 2024 by the then Ministry of Home Affairs and Immigration.
A month later, in July, the bureau was formed, consisting of officers seconded from the Fiji Police Force.
Now, one year and two months after its formation, the bureau will be disbanded, and officers returned to the different units they were once a part of in the Police Force.
Why? Because a few bureau members have been arrested on two separate cases of the unlawful possession of illicit drugs.
The first case was in May, where two officers were charged in connection with the unlawful importation of more than four kilograms of methamphetamine.
The drugs were intercepted at the Nadi International Airport after Fiji Revenue and Customs Service (FRCS) officers noticed irregularities in an airfreight shipment from a Southeast African nation.
This led to the setup of a controlled delivery operation, and the two officers, along with their accomplices, were arrested, charged, and the matter is now before the Nadi Magistrate’s Court.
The second incident happened on Friday, September 12, when two officers were intercepted in a rental vehicle soon after picking up liquid methamphetamine from a courier company in Raiwaqa.
Once again, the arrest was a joint operation between FRCS, the Fiji Police Force, and the Australian Federal Police (AFP).
“I had given instructions in the past for the former minister, who is handling them, to relocate the bureau to the police, to leave it all to policing. That’s what we will do again,” Mr Rabuka said.
“They will be under the police.
“It will come under the police every investigation, whether it’s criminal or drug. Well, drugs and criminals will have to be handled by the police.”
But for the police to be the umbrella authority of the bureau, amendments will need to be made to the National Counter Narcotics Strategy 2023–2028.
The strategy says the bureau will be recognised “as the lead agency in supply reduction enforcement operations supported by the Fiji Police Force and other key law enforcement agencies.
“The Counter Narcotics Bureau (of the Ministry of Home Affairs and Immigration) will play a leading role in the Supply Reduction pillar. The National Substance Abuse Advisory Council (NSAAC, of the Ministry of Education), in collaboration with the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Protection and the Ministry of Youth and Sports, will lead the Demand Reduction.
“Finally, the Harm Reduction pillar will be led by the Ministry of Health and Medical Services (St Giles clinical services and the Public Health Wellness Unit) in collaboration with the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Protection.
“These three pillars will be supported by key civil society groups and relevant non-government organisations through the sub-committees outlined below.”
When asked about this and the strategy, Mr Rabuka said the Government could cancel the strategy through the parliamentary process.
“We can cancel it through Parliament and get it set up in the police.
“I feel very embarrassed and very, very angry, and I have asked the Minister for Policing to shut it (bureau) out very, very quickly.”
He also said officers who were to be part of the unit needed to be “properly vetted before they are appointed”.
Policing Minister Ioane Naivalurua has already confirmed that the officers from the bureau will be reinstated into the Police Force.
“I also wish to inform the public that the country’s Counter Narcotics Bureau is currently being developed and is anticipated to be in full operation by the end of this fiscal year.
“In our endeavour to improve the operational effectiveness and efficiency of the Counter Narcotics Bureau, all police officers who are currently serving in the bureau will need to return to their units, immediately.”
He also confirmed that a new intake will be done, with “a proper selection process to identify suitable candidates to join this specialised unit”.
“Candidates must have a proven record of integrity, be ethically solid, resilient, and be able to perform professionally in a highly strenuous work environment and conditions.”
He said police officers who betrayed their oath and the trust placed in them would face the full brunt of the law, “just like any other citizen”.
Mr Naivalurua praised the collaborative efforts of the Fiji Police Force, FRCS, and the Australian Federal Police in investigating these cases.
