Yaqona thefts on Taveuni worrying

The Fiji Police Force has recorded 534 cases of yaqona plant thefts on Taveuni Island from October 2019 to October this year.

Prime Minister and Minister responsible for Police, Sitiveni Rabuka highlighted this in Parliament yesterday.

Mr Rabuka was responding to a question raised by Group of Nine (G9) Leader, Ioane Naivalurua about the increase in cases of yaqona thefts on the island.

“There has been some thefts and probably very difficult to explain,” Mr Rabuka said.

“The police have been trying very hard to control the thefts including the vanua approach,” he said.

Yaqona theft statistics on Taveuni:

• 2019 : 71 cases
• 2020 : 115 cases
• 2021 : 111 cases
• 2022 : 98 cases
• 2023 : 57 cases
• January to October, 2024 : 82 case

Mr Rabuka said there had been a significant increase in yaqona thefts from 2019 to 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

It decreased from 2020 until last year.

“In 2024 alone, an increased number of cases had been recorded from the beginning of the year up to October,” Mr Rabuka said.

“Recently, I believe there has been a cooperation between the police and the Methodist Church and other churches.”

Mr Rabuka said there had been increasing cases of green yaqona plants theft as well, but currently there is no regulation for the sale and purchase of green yaqona plants in place.

The Fiji Police Force is proposing that all yaqona business licence holders must include those selling and buying green yaqona as well in its criterion.

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