The Fiji Police Force reported a total of 635 theft incidents in July. Among these thefts, three cases accounted for over half a million dollars in losses. These significant cases involved multiple thefts from a restaurant, a supermarket, and a foreign exchange service, implicating six employees from the establishments concerned.
Acting Police Commissioner Juki Fong Chew noted a substantial rise in the overall crime rate for July, which increased by 52 percent compared to the same month in 2023 and 17 percent from June. This rise was attributed to an uptick in theft, assault, and burglary incidents. The number of theft cases alone reached 635.
Regarding assault, Mr. Chew reported an increase of 96 cases, with 347 incidents recorded in July 2024 compared to 251 assaults during the same month last year.
Additionally, the amount of illegal drugs seized rose by 42 percent, with 188 drug-related incidents reported in July compared to 132 cases from the previous year.