Police clarify photos of officers swimming

POLICE have clarified that social media photos of police personnel seen swimming with a police vehicle parked nearby were during a break after a successful drug raid.

Divisional Police Commander North SSP Kemueli Baledrokadroka said the photos taken at a river in Vanua Levu had sent a wrong message to social media users.

“The officers were returning from a successful drug raid,” he said.

“I will be talking to the officers concerned as the post does send the wrong message of the hard work being done by the joint taskforce.

“The officers have been working tirelessly conducting drug raids and special operations in the Northern Division which have resulted in multiple arrests and seizures of marijuana and methamphetamine.”

On a separate issue, SSP Baledrokadroka has pleaded with farmers and the community to refrain from unnecessary burning of dry grass or cane farms.

His plea follows a few reports of fire that have caused major damage such as the Nawailevu, Bua fire which destroyed a $60,000 generator and a cane farm fire at Cawaira, Labasa which burnt a car that veered off the road and fell into the drain where flames were.

“It is so very discouraging to see that we are still not responsible enough to think of others,” he said.

“Some points of consideration, people should consider the wind direction, people affected, the right time to burn, clear space to avoid fire from spreading and other issues.

“Now that we have been alerted by the weather office that there will be a long dry spell ahead of us, we need to work together.”