6 people in custody for drug possession in Nadi and Labasa

Six people are in police custody after they were found with illicit drugs believed to be marijuana.

Police say a joint operations team consisting of Police and the Fiji Detector Dog Unit raided a hotel room in Martintar, Nadi, where they found hundreds of branches of dried leaves and seeds, all believed to be marijuana.

They say this led to the arrest of two people alleged to be involved in the distribution of illicit drugs, namely marijuana, and both are still in custody at the Nadi Police Station as investigations continue.

Meanwhile, more drug farms continue to be found in Kadavu.

Police say a team from the Southern Division Drug Operations over the past 48 hours discovered three farms in the Gasele and Dravuwalu terrains, with more than 2,300 plants believed to be marijuana.

They say the owners of the farms have yet to be identified.

In the Northern Division, Police continue to make arrests in the Labasa town area of people allegedly found in possession of illicit drugs.

The Labasa Police Task Force team arrested four farmers aged 20, 31, 43 and 58-years.

Chief Operations Officer (COO) Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Livai Driu says the community plays an important role in tackling the illicit drug trade and has noted increased support through the sharing of information.

ACP Driu is urging all Fijians to utilize the Crime Stoppers Fiji line 919 or the official Fiji Police social media pages to privately share information about those involved in the illicit drug trade.

He says over the past few weeks, several raids and arrests were made as a result of information privately shared on their social media platforms, and they commend those who are taking the noble step of helping law enforcement fight the war on drugs.