Government rejects calls to end joint operations against drug networks in Fiji

The Fijian government has firmly rejected calls to cease joint police and military operations aimed at combating illicit drug networks. The Ministry of Policing issued a statement emphasizing that the extensive scale and sophistication of drug trafficking and cultivation in Fiji necessitate an "all-of-nation response."

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The scale and sophistication of illicit drug trafficking and cultivation in Fiji require an all-of-nation response.

This response, the Ministry detailed, involves collaboration across law enforcement agencies, relevant government ministries, communities, civil society organizations, faith-based groups, traditional leadership (vanua), and the private sector. The government asserts that these joint operations have yielded significant results, citing the uprooting of over 74,000 marijuana plants in the Northern Division alone, leading to arrests and court proceedings.

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These operations... are making a real difference in disrupting illicit drug networks.

Furthermore, the Ministry reported ongoing seizures of methamphetamine and cocaine across the Central, Western, and Eastern Divisions. These efforts, it highlights, are crucial in disrupting illicit drug networks. However, the government also stressed that operational success cannot justify human rights violations.

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operational success can never excuse human rights violations.

Concluding its statement, the Ministry underscored the importance of conducting these joint operations lawfully, professionally, and with full accountability, indicating a commitment to both effectiveness and adherence to human rights standards.

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joint operations must continue lawfully, professionally, and with full accountability.