Concerns have been raised by village leaders in Lau, particularly on the island of Moala, regarding the exchange of marijuana among local youth for methamphetamine brought in from Suva. Reports gathered during visits to Moala and Vanuabalavu indicate that the use of meth is becoming increasingly prevalent among young people on these islands.
The Fiji Police Narcotics Bureau has been notified, but concrete evidence of meth use has not yet been collected. It is believed that the drug is being smuggled to the islands through other Lau villagers using passenger boats from Suva, largely due to insufficient security checks at the wharf, which is compounded by limited police resources stationed on the islands.
Young people in Lau have daily exposure to both the sale and use of methamphetamine through various means, including inter-island shipping and the internet, where tutorials on drug manufacturing are accessible. Village headmen from across the 72 villages in the province have voiced serious concerns that rising meth use could disrupt the peace and lifestyle of the islands.
Roko Tui Lau Jaji Kalounivalu expressed that while marijuana cultivation and use have been ongoing, recent reports from Vanuabalavu, Ono-i-Lau, Lakeba, and Moala indicate that meth is now also entering these communities. He stressed that although the number of young people using this drug is currently low, the small population size could lead to a rapid spread of use.
The Lau Group consists of over 50 islands, with 19 inhabited and a total estimated population of around 80,000. Recent statistics show there are approximately 6,800 villagers living on these islands, primarily comprising young males aged between 10 and 30 years.
Village elders and police officials are well aware that marijuana is illegally grown and consumed by the youth, but the previously reported discovery of packaged cocaine on the shores of some Lau islands in 2018 paved the way for harder drugs to infiltrate. There are concerns regarding the connection between local groups and drug dealers in Suva, with indications that drug-related behavior among young men is on the rise.
Medical professionals on Moala have noted an uptick in assault cases linked to alcohol consumption, with one incident involving young boys attacking a man during a drinking event. The local health officer expressed worries that illicit drugs could soon flood the islands, emphasizing the need for control measures.
Village leaders suspect that drug trafficking is facilitated through inter-island shipping from the larger island of Viti Levu. While no meth usage has been confirmed on Vanuabalavu, marijuana cultivation and use remain prevalent. Reports of suspicious fishing nets found in the ocean have raised suspicions that they may be linked to drug trafficking operations.
The lack of police presence and oversight at wharves and domestic airports has been criticized heavily, as it allows drug dealers to operate with relative impunity. Stakeholders in the shipping industry have called for increased police activity to deter drug trafficking effectively.
This article forms part of an ongoing series examining the growing methamphetamine issue in Fiji.