Police arrest two suspects, uproot 4000 marijuana plants in Levuka Village, Kadavu
Two people have been arrested as the drug raids continue on the island of Kadavu where close to 4000 marijuana plants have been uprooted from a farm in Levuka Village in the district of Yale.
Police Chief of Operations ACP Rusiate Tudravu travelled to Kadavu yesterday on board the Fiji Police boat Naivonoi with the Divisional Crime Officer Southern, two officers from the criminal investigation department, the Fiji Police Force analyst and the officer in charge of the maritime zone.
Two men believed to be involved in the cultivation of the illicit drugs are under arrest and are being questioned at the Vunisea Police Station.
Twenty officers from the Police Special Response Unit were deployed last Saturday to assist officers on the island after they were attacked and threatened during the raid.
ACP Tudravu said he would be visiting the villagers and speaking to respective village headman and elders to reaffirm the police commitment in working together and ensuring the protection of communities.
“We have received information that those who are involved in this trade have been a threat to their communities and we understand their reluctance to provide information was because of their safety,” ACP Tudravu said.
“And as we have shown with the quick deployment of officers we want to reassure them that we have the capabilities and resources to come to their assistance. “Another raid was conducted at Nukuvou, Nakasaleka and we have the suspected cultivator in custody following the seizure of more than 30 plants.”
The two suspects arrested from the first raid are from Rewa in Viti Levu and Wainibuka, Tailevu which the Chief Operations Officer stressed will be an issue he will talk to village heads to be vigilant of.
The Police analyst is also on the island analyzing the plants to aid the investigation process as the institution steps up its war on drugs.