Fiji Police Force vessel Water Police 02 Yavahuna berthed at the Draunibota jetty at Lami outside Suva on March 20, 2018. Photo: Nacanieli Tuilevuka
Fiji Police Force vessel Water Police 02 Yavahuna brought into Suva on Sunday the biggest marijuana haul from Kadavu.
Chief operation officer ACP Maretino Qiolevu labelled the operation as the biggest drug raid to date in Kadavu.
The vessel disembarked at the Draunibota jetty in Lami outside Suva to offload the illegal plants before they were taken away for testing.
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“Nine police officers were deployed in the operation and the vessel Yavahuna was used in the operation- to take officers to and back from the island,” ACP Qiolevu said.
“The operation was for a week, they returned with 461 uprooted plants of marijuana.
“No one has been arrested, our police are still investigating to confirm who the plants belong to,” he said.
According to ACP Qiolevu, WP02 Yavahuna is one of the two police vessels used by the police force for such operations outside Viti Levu. The illegal plants were uprooted by the Fiji Police Force team deployed to Kadavu on Operation Cavuraka which commenced on March 1.
Such operation focuses on drug trade and enforcement.
The team returned to Suva on Sunday on board the WP 02Yavahuna with the marijuana plants.
ACP Qiolevu said it has become the trend that drug dealers plant marijuana on steep landscapes in the interior parts of the islands.
“Most of the plants uprooted were from steep landscapes and rocky mountains. Police officers had to hike up mountains to uproot these plants,” he said.
“We have seen that this has become a trend in Kadavu,” he said.
Meanwhile he said there has been continuing increase in drugs seizures in the four divisions.
“In total Police have seized 5406 green plants, 146 branches, 572 sachets, intercepted 416 parcels and seized two hard drugs,” ACP Qiolevu said.
“The Western Division recorded the highest with 2720 green plants seized, 204 sachets and 280 parcels while in the Northern Division 1846 plants were seized and two parcels.
“Southern Division recorded 418 green plants, 42 branches, 166 sachets, eight parcels and two hard drugs whereas in the Eastern Division 322 green plants were seized 104 branches, 126 sachets and 16 parcels,” he said.
