Illicit drugs and transnational crime are among Fiji’s most pressing security challenges, Defence and Veterans Affairs Minister Pio Tikoduadua warned Parliament on Wednesday, urging a whole-of-nation response as the government considers bolstering military support for specialised operations.
Speaking in reply to the President’s address at the opening of the new parliamentary session, Tikoduadua described a changing security landscape marked by rising drug trafficking, organised criminal networks operating across borders, cyber threats and the smuggling of people. He said the spread of illegal drugs is already affecting communities nationwide, placing strain on families, increasing pressure on health services and endangering the wellbeing of young people.
Tikoduadua called for a coordinated national approach that strengthens law enforcement’s capacity to break up criminal networks and continues support for the Fiji Police Force. He emphasised that prevention must extend beyond enforcement, highlighting the role of parents and families in guiding young people away from drug use and the social services needed to support affected communities.
A key development flagged by the minister is the government’s work on a legal and operational framework that would allow the Republic of Fiji Military Forces to assist national authorities when specialised capabilities are required. Tikoduadua stressed any military support would be framed to ensure operations remain within the law and reinforce—rather than supplant—the work of civilian institutions.
The comments come as the government has already begun shifting toward closer police–military cooperation to confront the country’s escalating drug problem. In recent months the policing minister, Ioane Naivalurua, announced joint operations between the Fiji Police Force and the military and described the drugs situation as a national emergency, citing a sharp increase in drug-related cases and seizures. Those moves sparked discussion about the appropriate legal basis and oversight for security force collaboration—issues Tikoduadua’s proposed framework seeks to address.
Observers say formalising military support could speed up intelligence-driven, specialised responses to transnational organised crime, but will require clear rules of engagement, parliamentary scrutiny and safeguards for civil liberties. Calls for stronger legal instruments to tackle trafficking and to bolster enforcement capacity have been in circulation for more than a year, including work on a proposed Counter Narcotics Bureau and suggestions to review the Police Act to better equip authorities.
Tikoduadua did not provide a timetable for developing or tabling the military-assistance framework in his parliamentary remarks. He framed the initiative as part of a broader strategy that combines enforcement, prevention, family and community involvement, and inter-agency coordination to blunt the social and security harms posed by drugs and cross-border organised crime.
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