The Fiji Police Force reported a total of 635 theft incidents for the month of July. Among these, three cases involved thefts exceeding half a million dollars, consisting of multiple counts from a restaurant, supermarket, and a foreign exchange outlet. Six employees from the three establishments were implicated in these thefts.
Acting Commissioner of Police Juki Fong Chew indicated that the overall crime rate for July saw a significant rise of 52 percent compared to the same time last year and a 17 percent increase in relation to June. The surge in crime was primarily attributed to theft, assault, and burglary incidents.
In terms of assaults, there was an increase of 96 cases, with July 2024 recording 347 reported incidents compared to 251 during the same month in the previous year.
Additionally, drug-related offenses rose by 42 percent, with 188 reported cases in the same timeframe last year, up from 132 the previous year.