POLICE are disappointed with the broken promises of some villagers in the highlands of Navosa.
The comment by police spokesman Inspector Atunaisa Sokomuri follows the uprooting of about 500 marijuana plants so far this year from the area.
Insp Sokomuri said despite extensive awareness programs and the continued fight to stem drug cultivation, the people in the highlands had reverted to drug cultivation.
He said authorities could not supervise villagers all the time so they must learn from the awareness programs conducted by the police and other stakeholders.
"We exhausted almost all avenues last year through drug awareness programs in the fight against drug cultivation and we were promised by the people of Navosa there would be no more marijuana cultivation," he said.
"We even teamed up with the office of the Commissioner Western, religious organisations and other stakeholders in educating the people of Navosa of the impact of marijuana.
"During our operations, the first phase we put on 'black gloves' which was the uprooting of plants and arresting illegal farmers. Then in the second phase, we put on our 'white gloves' which included community awareness.
"But all this hard work has been wasted as we have now witnessed marijuana plants being uprooted yet again by our officers."
Insp Sokomuri said police needed the complete support of all stakeholders in the fight to combat marijuana cultivation.
Assistant roko tui Nadroga Rusiate Raidaveta confirmed there was continuous cultivation of marijuana in the highlands and the uprooting of 290 plants last week was just the tip of the iceberg.
"We have been alerted by some village headmen that many unknown vehicles visited the highlands every week," said Mr Raidaveta.
"We believe many highlanders have reverted to marijuana cultivation which ceased for some time last year.
"The council is concerned about the continuation of this illegal practice and we are doing our best in educating the people to refrain from cultivating the drug," he said.
"We believed in these people and the promise that they will leave marijuana cultivation after conducting a series of farm raids and awareness programs.