Chiefs Ban Drugs from Province
Ra leaders unite to declare their province drug-free.
The chiefs of Ra have made a united stand to eliminate drugs from their province. This was declared during the Ra Provincial Council meeting at Nanukuloa on Thursday.
The chiefs want to rid illicit drugs from their province after recent revelation of methamphetamine cases sparked strong emotions during the meeting.
District Nalawa Council chairman Ratu Josaia Niudamu said the general drug epidemic was a concerning matter that needed to addressed urgently.
This was in response to questions regarding a presentation conducted during the meeting on drugs by Inspector Usaia Donu of the Fiji Police Force’s Narcotics Unit. Inspector Donu said three cases of methamphetamine seizures had been recorded in the province of Ra from last year to date.
“It is currently a challenge for the Vanua o Ra. I think methamphetamine and marijuana are on the rise,” he said.
“The Ra Provincial Council, together with the chiefs, we are enforcing strict laws in our villages to make sure that these powders which is now being found in Rakiraki, doesn’t reach our village boundaries because it’s a very dangerous situation. We know Police are working hard together with the Vanua Development Plan to make Ra a crime and drug-free province.”
Meanwhile, Inspector Usaia Donu of the Fiji Police Force’s Narcotics Bureau, on Day 1 of the meeting shared how the bureau was taking its campaign right to the interior to ensure enforcement and compliance and the consequence of dealing with drugs.
“We’re going to villages and rural areas to do drug awareness to school students mainly on the damaging effects of cannabis and just recently methamphetamine which is ice,” he said.
“It’s still illegal, refrain from doing this if you’re engaged in it and you’re a child or youth, the sentence is long and you will be looking at 20 plus years in jail or maybe a bit less.”