NADI (FBC NEWS/FIJI TIMES) —Fiji and the Pacific Island countries have, over the past eight years, gone from being the drug transit route to an established domestic market.
New Zealand Police Senior Liaison Officer (Pacific) Superintendent Glyn Rowland says the drug problem has become so huge, something that they had not dreamt about.
Speaking at the Fiji Law Society Convention and the 2nd Pasefika Lawyers Collective Conference in Nadi, Rowland says that quantities of drugs intercepted in Fiji are driven by demand from New Zealand and Australia primarily.
“The route is obviously from America or Asia, and it was always said that a transit route never remains a transit route. And Fiji was always a transit route. So the demand, such in Australia and New Zealand, means that this is a transit route, and it comes through Fiji, and a transit route doesn’t stay a transit route.”
Rowland saidwhile the NZ Police has partnered with Fiji and other Pacific countries in the war against transnational crimes, it’s not just about policing.
He said it’s about education, health, and community outreach programs to ensure these challenges are addressed.
Meanwhile, ships sailing into Fiji have colluded with yachties to carry illegal substances into the country, according to the Immigration Ministry.
The ministry’s Permanent secretary, Aliki Salusalu, said these yachts that were cleared by immigration officials anchored in Fiji waters but returned to deep waters to collect illegal packages from the ships.
“This is one of our biggest challenges,” Salusalu said.
“We have had this experience in which yachts, already cleared by us, travel out to deeper waters to meet with the bigger ships and carry back to our country illegal packages.”
Salusalu told the Lau Provincial Council meeting they continued to work with stakeholders and the Government to tighten border security. “Border security is the duty of all of us.
“Some things we won’t see or know as immigration officials, so we are asking district reps and village headmen to work with us and call 1539 and inform us. When that happens, a team will be deployed, which includes officials from immigration, Customs, the Navy and the police. They will come and attend to your reports,” he said…PACNEWS