Five high school students were among the 163 individuals charged with drug-related offenses last month. Acting Commissioner of Police, Juki Fong Chew, announced the crime statistics for July, noting a 42 percent rise in drug-related incidents, with a total of 188 cases reported compared to 132 during the same timeframe last year.
Out of the 188 cases, 181 involved illicit drug possession, while seven pertained to the unlawful cultivation of drugs. The breakdown revealed 46 cases associated with methamphetamine, one case involving cocaine, and 141 cases linked to marijuana.
Lautoka experienced a dramatic surge in drug-related offenses, rising from four cases in 2023 to 32 cases in 2024. Among the unlawful possession cases, 18 were for methamphetamine, and 14 were for marijuana.