Week-long drugs arrest include two juveniles

TWENTY people including a 15-year-old and a 16-year-old were taken into police custody for possession of illicit drugs over a one week period.

The arrests, says Assistant Commissioner of Police Operations Livai Driu, were part of the ongoing war on drugs.

Mr Driu said the arrests were made in all five policing divisions with the assistance of the Fiji Detector Dog Unit.

He said majority of the arrests and seizures were made in the Western and Southern divisions.

A man and a woman were arrested at a hotel on March 11 after they were found with white substances believed to be cocaine and methamphetamine, dried leaves believed to be marijuana and cash.

Also, in Lautoka, a 15-year-old student was questioned after being found with dried leaves believed to be marijuana and a smoking apparatus.

Mr Driu said arrests were also made in Malolo, Nadi, Sigatoka, where three people were found with dried leaves while two were found with crystals believed to be methamphetamine,.

At Newtown in Nasinu, a man was arrested following a joint raid with the dog unit at his home where they found a sack containing dried leaves believed to be marijuana while a team deployed to Kadavu found more than 4000 plants believed to be marijuana from five farms.

“In Laucala Bay, Suva, a 16-year-old student was found with several clear plastics believed to be methamphetamine and dried leaves believed to be marijuana.”

Mr Driu said the arrests and discoveries demonstrated how collaboration between law enforcement and the community could assist with efforts of detecting, disrupting and destroying those involved in the illicit drug trade.

He said the deployment of specialised maritime capabilities for the conduct of quick operations based on information received has led to the discovery of more marijuana farms.