The high chief of Lau Province, Gone Turaga Bale na Tui Nayau, Sau ni Vanua ko Lau, Tui Lau
Ratu Tevita Uluilakeba Mara has issued a direct warning that if the government continues to neglect our communities in the face of this crisis, the day will come when our own youth realise the true worth of these finds.
Ratu Tevita says through that gross negligence, we will have bred an entirely new generation of drug dealers.
He stresses that the window to act is now, and it is closing.
While calling for the restoration of the customary and village by-laws removed by the previous Government, the high chief says tolerance and patience have their limits, and he has issued this warning as a chief with responsibilities to his people.
Ratu Tevita says no forum at the Grand Pacific Hotel will keep drugs off the beaches of our islands in Lau - only practical, funded, community-led action will.
He says they are seafarers, and they know our seas and our weather like the back of their hands.
Ratu Tevita says they need to be empowered to use that knowledge.
He adds the drugs washing ashore on our villages and populated coastlines do not arrive by accident.
Ratu Tevita says this is beginning to look like a well-orchestrated plan - and our people are being left defenceless while Suva holds yet another forum.
He says the surge in narcotics washing up across the Lau Group and our maritime provinces is escalating fast, and the timing is hard to ignore: it comes directly alongside last week’s regional security conference and the arrival of the United States Coast Guard in our waters.
Ratu Tevita then asks if a package of drugs meant for Australia ends up on a Fijian beach, what do the people of our maritime provinces actually gain from our security pact with Australia under the Vuvale Partnership.
He says we carry the risk while others take the reward.
Ratu Tevita says this is, above all, a national security issue - and it calls not for another forum, but for the National Security Council to meet urgently and agree on an immediate response.
The high chief says our national security structures and systems have been tested severely and found wanting.
The Tui Nayau says the growing regularity of these wash-ups is a direct challenge and threat to our joint security operations against drugs.
He says we do not need more navy bases or police patrol boats.
He stresses we need traditional guardians who are resourced, backed by law, and trusted to act.
Ratu Tevita says the removal of the village by-laws has left a dangerous vacuum, and it must be filled without delay, through proper parliamentary process if necessary.
He says equip and support our communities on the ground - the gear, the constabulary support, and drug test kits so that finds can be verified at once and dealt with without delay, before anything disappears into the wrong hands.
Ratu Tevita calls for the redirecting of the money spent on endless conferences straight to our coastal communities who are carrying this burden.
He also calls for a ban on unregistered and uninspected yachts and foreign vessels from our maritime zones - an immediate and non-negotiable measure.
Ratu Tevita further says the decision to extend the bêche-de-mer (sea cucumber) harvesting season from three months through to January 2027, without any proper consultation with traditional owners, is a direct violation of customary rights and a symptom of a deeper problem: the disconnect between government decisions and the lived reality of our maritime communities.
He stresses the Vanua is not a stakeholder to be briefed after the fact; the Vanua is the custodian, and must be respected as such.
Ratu Tevita calls on his own people to stand, and watch over their shores as their fathers did before them.
He says they are the first line of defence, and they will not surrender their seas, homes and villages to those who would poison them.
The 27 parcels containing white substances that were found in the Lau group are being tested at the Fiji Police Forensics Laboratory in Suva.
Police say officers from the Forensic and Criminal Investigations Department have been deployed with the Republic of Fiji Navy to conduct further enquiries and also retrieve another 35 parcels found floating along Munia Island last week.
They say in an earlier discovery, a sealed, clear plastic containing white substances was found in Kadavu and tested positive for cocaine.
We have approached Prime Minister, Sitiveni Rabuka for comments.
Stay with us for developments.
