The Tobacco Community Enforcement Unit says prosecutions for illegal cigarette and “suki” sales in Fiji continue to fail largely because officers lack direct, recorded evidence of transactions — a problem that is undermining enforcement despite regular operations. Unit manager Maleli Baleiwera told reporters this week that surveillance and enforcement drives are conducted monthly but often do not produce the kind of incontrovertible proof required to win cases in court.
Baleiwera said the unit routinely carries out planned visits to known hotspots, but suspects frequently stop selling at the first sign of enforcement and then resume once officers leave the area. “When officers go to the location, people are warned and they stop selling cigarettes but when officers leave, they continue selling again,” he said, describing a pattern that allows repeat offenders to evade prosecution.
That temporary cessation of activity, Baleiwera explained, means enforcement teams rarely witness the critical element prosecutors need: the actual exchange of money for cigarettes. “The challenge is when it comes to prosecution, we need evidence. We need to actually witness the exchange of money and cigarettes before we can successfully take offenders to court,” he said. Without that direct observation, cases rely on hearsay and second‑hand information that magistrates will not accept as sufficient proof.
The unit is now pressing for stronger community cooperation, stressing that recorded witness statements are essential to build charges that can withstand legal scrutiny. Baleiwera urged members of the public who see illegal sales to come forward and give statements that document what they personally observed. “We need recorded statements, and we need witnesses who actually saw the transaction take place,” he said.
Baleiwera’s comments highlight the operational limits of enforcement under current conditions: regular patrols and surveillance can identify and disrupt illegal cigarette distribution temporarily, but the swift disappearance of evidence on contact with officers prevents offences being prosecuted. That outcome allows sellers to continue operating with little long‑term consequence, he warned.
The latest update signals a shift in emphasis for the unit from solely relying on patrols towards greater engagement with communities as evidentiary partners. Baleiwera did not specify changes to tactics or a new reporting mechanism, but reiterated the central role that credible, recorded witness testimony will play if prosecutions are to proceed. The unit said monthly surveillance will continue while it seeks more robust ways to gather admissible evidence and encourage public reporting to break the cycle of transient compliance by illegal sellers.