Acting Attorney‑General Siromi Turaga has told Parliament that Fiji is facing a “national emergency” over illicit drugs, warning that the crisis is now a lived reality for families, communities and young people across the country. Speaking on behalf of the Minister for Policing and Communications on Tuesday, Turaga said more than 2,400 drug‑related cases were recorded nationwide in 2025, with the bulk of offenders aged between 18 and 35.
Turaga said the country is seeing rising prevalence of synthetic drug use and large law enforcement seizures, and warned that Fiji’s position along key maritime routes makes it vulnerable both as a destination and as a transshipment point for transnational organised crime networks. “Major seizures have confirmed Fiji’s exposure to transnational trafficking routes, indicating that our country is not only a transit point for illicit drugs but increasingly a potential distribution hub,” he told MPs, citing the island nation’s proximity to Southeast Asia and the Americas.
The acting attorney‑general stressed the public‑health implications of the surge, linking increased methamphetamine use with rising HIV transmission rates. He said the response can no longer be left to police and military alone, and quoted the president in acknowledging the important roles played by the Fiji Police Force, the Republic of Fiji Military Forces, vanua and faith leaders in confronting the crisis.
To sharpen the national response, Turaga said the government has intensified joint Police–RFMF operations targeting illicit cultivation and trafficking, strengthened intelligence‑led policing and enhanced border security. Central to the strategy, he said, is the newly established Counter Narcotics Bureau (CNB), which will coordinate efforts under four pillars: harm reduction, supply reduction, rehabilitation and treatment.
What is new in Tuesday’s parliamentary statement was Turaga’s description of the situation as a national emergency and the expanded scope he outlined for the CNB. He said the bureau will not only lead enforcement coordination but will also support faith‑based transformation programmes and work with government and community agencies to strengthen family and community support systems — signalling an emphasis on community‑level interventions alongside supply‑side policing.
The comments build on government moves over the last year to institutionalise its anti‑drug response. The administration opened recruitment for posts within the Counter Narcotics Bureau in February, and earlier signed a memorandum of understanding with Indonesia’s National Narcotics Board to enhance intelligence sharing and technical cooperation. International partners have also stepped in: a Japan‑UNICEF alliance announced in March committed funding and programming targeted at children and adolescents amid the growing drug crisis.
Turaga framed the approach as a whole‑of‑nation effort, reiterating that faith leaders, chiefs and community organisations must play a role in prevention and rehabilitation. As Parliament considers the CNB’s mandate and the broader package of enforcement and public‑health measures, the government faces pressure to show rapid results as seizures and case numbers continue to climb and young people remain disproportionately affected.
Leave a comment