$241m marijuana seized in nine-month Police crackdown

Police uprooted marijuana worth an estimated $241 million between March and December 2025 as Fiji’s top cop declared 2025 a year of decisive action against drugs.

Speaking yesterday at the National Talanoa Session on responding to illicit drugs, Commissioner Rusiate Tudravu said drug crime became a top priority when he assumed office in February 2025.

After receiving operational briefings, he directed the Fiji Police Force to focus heavily on marijuana cultivation, while the newly formed Narcotics Bureau concentrated on “white drugs” such as methamphetamine and cocaine.

The anti-drug campaign, known as Operation Samaki, was launched to “disrupt, destroy and dismantle” drug networks. During the nine phases of operations carried out nationwide from March to December 2025, officers targeted major growing regions.

“During that period, officers uprooted 18.2 tonnes of marijuana with an estimated street value of $241 million. Authorities also seized 11.1 kilograms of white drugs valued at nearly $7 million,” Commissioner Tudravu said.

“A total of 1,239 people were arrested, most for possession and cultivation-related offences.”

Nearly 700 personnel were deployed across the country, supported by expanded technological capabilities, including drones used to identify and access remote plantations.

Operations were concentrated in Navosa, Kadavu and parts of the Northern Division, where most marijuana farms were discovered and destroyed.

Commissioner Tudravu said enforcement efforts have continued into 2026. Since January, Police have registered 155 marijuana-related cases, 24 cases involving white drugs and five cocaine cases, including several recent high-profile seizures.

He stressed that tackling drug crime requires a collective national effort to protect future generations.