Police: We can't stop kava thefts alone

The Fiji Police Force is urging farmers and communities to become more security-conscious, warning that police cannot tackle the growing wave of kava thefts without public support.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Operations Kasiano Vusonilawe said Fijians needed to change their mindset and take greater responsibility for protecting their crops.

"To be frank, to be polite, the Fiji Police cannot fight these issues alone, like the theft of yaqona and other drugs and all these things. We need the assistance of everybody," ACP Vusonilawe said.

He said many Fijians continued to rely on outdated perceptions of safety.

"They think that Fiji is still the same from the previous years until now," he said.

"We are in a developing country and our minds should be open in terms of security-minded precautions, measures of what we do."

Mr Vusonilawe said preventing kava theft required a shared effort between police and the public.

"Don't think that police can do everything. We need each other. We do things together so that we can provide safety in our nation."

His comments come as farmers in Taveuni, Bua and other parts of Fiji continue to report significant losses from yaqona thefts, with some incidents costing individual farmers thousands of dollars.

Kava is one of Fiji's most valuable agricultural exports, with the country exporting 730 tonnes worth $53 million in 2024.

The comments also come as the proposed Kava Bill moves closer to Parliament following nationwide consultations. The legislation is expected to establish a formal framework for the yaqona industry, which supports more than 14,500 households nationwide.