Govt moves to toughen drug sentencing tariffs

Government is in serious discussions about increasing penalties for drug offences as part of its intensified fight against drugs, Acting Attorney-General Siromi Turaga has confirmed.

Speaking to the Fiji Sun on Friday, Mr Turaga said the government was concerned that drug-related penalties had not changed significantly over the past 18 years.

“The government is looking at it, there is some serious discussion,” Mr Turaga said.

Tariffs are sentencing guidelines that judges use to determine prison terms for convicted drug offenders.

They establish ranges based on the quantity of drugs involved.

Currently, Fiji’s tariffs for hard drugs like methamphetamine range from 2½ to 4½ years for small amounts up to 5 grams, while quantities over 1 kilogram carry sentences of 20 years to life imprisonment.

Increasing tariffs would mean raising these minimum and maximum sentences to make penalties more severe.

Mr Turaga defended harsh penalties as an effective deterrent, pointing to the landmark life sentence handed down to Justin Ho in August by Lautoka High Court over a record $2 billion methamphetamine importation.

“We must send a strong message and denounce,” he added.

Mr Turaga explained that any changes would require policy approval from the relevant ministry before going to Cabinet for a final decision.

He stressed the drug problem affected entire communities through issues like HIV and deaths among young people.

“It’s the future of our children, the future of this nation, rest on this,” he said.

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