Police to apprehend offenders, seize property

POLICE have observed an increase in the use of drugs and property offences among those involved in organised crime, says Assistant Commissioner of Police for Crime Mesake Waqa.

He said the goal of the police would be to apprehend offenders and seize property.

“In terms of investigations, we are also looking at their assets,” Mr Waqa said.

“The only way we can get them out, is to get their assets.”

He made the statement while responding to a recent report released by police which showed drug cases for the month of January recorded a significant increase.

The report noted 169 illicit drugs cases were registered compared with 87 for the same period last year.

Of this number, 24 per cent or 40 cases were associated with methamphetamine, while the remaining 129 cases were linked to the unlawful possession or cultivation of marijuana.

“We also have marijuana; we have also green drugs that is also a challenge to us.

“Fiji Police has already declared a war on drugs that is both green and white and we are identifying trends and making sure that we have strategies in place to counter them.”

He said the new drug trends observed by police were that traffickers “try to beat the border system”.

“The new drug trend that we are currently having now with cocaine and methamphetamine is the way that it has been trafficked.

“We noted that some of it comes through the border, and some come from open sea.

“It is our prerogative to look after the border and that we are able to enforce this well, and we’ll be getting our guidance from the Government.”