Apenisa Waqairadovu 
Nadi drug bust [File Photo]
Acting Deputy Commissioner of Police Sakeo Raikaci has revealed a concerning drug statistic for Fiji for the period between 2019 and last year.
He highlighted this today at the opening of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions conference.
Fiji recorded a total of 6659 drug cases during this period with the highest number being 1615 last year.
Fiji recorded 1275 in 2019, 1501 in 2020, 1032 in 2021 and 1236 in 2022.
Acting Deputy Commissioner of Police Sakeo Raikaci.
Raikaci attributed the sudden drop of 31 percent in 2021 to the restrictions in place during the COVID-19 pandemic; however, he says that although the number of cases drops, that does not mean the drug involvement drops as involvement continues.
He asserts that the easing of restrictions significantly contributed to the 19% reemergence of cases in 2022, causing a surge in cases to reach their highest level the following year.
Raikaci says this surge underscores the increasing trend and complexities of tackling the issue.
More to follow.
