[Photo: FILE]
Minister for Policing and Communications Ioane Naivalurua says more than $4 billion worth of illicit drugs has circulated through Fiji over the past three years, making the fight against drugs and organised crime one of the Government’s highest priorities.
Speaking during the 2026-2027 National Budget debate, Naivalurua says drugs are destroying lives, destabilising families and threatening national security.
He says the Budget allocates $1.6 million to strengthen Fiji’s counter-narcotics capability, including establishing the Counter-Narcotics Bureau, recruiting specialist officers and developing the Counter-Narcotics Bill.
Naivalurua says the recently endorsed National Coordination of Transnational Serious and Organised Crime and Illicit Drug Enforcement Policy will strengthen intelligence sharing and joint operations through the National Joint Enforcement Centre.
He says joint operations involving the Fiji Police Force and the Republic of Fiji Military Forces have already delivered results, with illicit drug cases falling by 30 percent and overall crime dropping by 18 percent in the first quarter of 2025-2026.
The Minister also highlighted the $34.2 million allocated to his ministry, saying it will strengthen national security, policing reforms and Fiji’s digital transformation.
Naivalurua stressed that enforcement alone will not solve the drug crisis, saying the Budget also invests in prevention, rehabilitation and stronger coordination to make Fiji a safer place to live, work and invest.
