Fiji Destroys Over 47,000 Marijuana Plants To Combat Organised Crime

SUVA, May 26 (Xinhua) -- Fiji's security forces have destroyed more than 47,000 marijuana plants and arrested dozens of suspects as authorities intensify efforts to combat drug trafficking and organized crime across the Pacific island nation.

Minister for Policing Ioane Naivalurua told Parliament on Tuesday that a joint operation involving the Fiji Police Force and the Republic of Fiji Military Forces had resulted in the destruction of 47,042 marijuana plants from 93 farms in the country's Northern Division.

A total of 22 people were arrested in connection with marijuana cultivation, while 68 suspects were detained in the Central and Eastern divisions for allegedly possessing methamphetamine, other illicit drugs and proceeds of crime.

Naivalurua said the arrests demonstrated that Fiji's law enforcement agencies remained fully engaged in intelligence-led operations aimed at dismantling organized criminal networks operating within the country's borders and maritime zone.

The latest figures come amid growing concerns about the expansion of transnational crime and drug trafficking across the Pacific, with regional law enforcement agencies increasingly warning that island nations are no longer being used solely as transit points for narcotics but are also becoming destination markets.

Security officials have repeatedly warned that organized criminal groups are exploiting the Pacific's vast maritime boundaries, limited surveillance resources and strategic location to facilitate drug trafficking and other illicit activities.

--NNN-Xinhua