TWO youths who mistook a police car for their pick-up truck are now on the run after leaving behind two horses and sacks of dried leaves believed to be marijuana.
The incident happened on Monday morning at a rendezvous point in Nasatogo junction, Navosa.
The youths, both on horseback, had a black garbage bag stuffed with dried leaves believed to be marijuana and weighing between one and two kilograms when they stopped what they thought was their pick-up truck.
Police spokesman Corporal Josaia Weicavu said the police car was returning from Korolevu when it was hailed down by the youths early Monday morning.
He said when the youths realised their mistake, they made a run for it and disappeared behind the bushes. They left behind their two horses and the black garbage bag. Cpl Weicavu said the patrol team from Navosa then mounted a roadblock at Keyasi to search for the youths. At the roadblock, he said, they stopped and searched a private car driven by a 26 year old man carrying three passengers.
He said the four men were taken into custody after being found in possession of dried leaves believed to be marijuana. All four are from Nausori.
Officer in charge at Sigatoka Assistant Superintendent Salacieli Naivilawasa said last night the four men were still being interrogated by police.
He said the dried leaves were sent to Koronivia for analysis.
"As for the identity of the two youths that fled, the police are aware of who they are," he said.
"We know that they are also from Nausori and now it's a matter of going to their village and picking them up. One of the two suspects that fled is a known drug trafficker."
Divisional Police Commander West SSP Emori Laqai said the main hurdle in the drug fight was that areas like Keyasi were big and remote with a lot of inroads.
"For instance you can come from the Ba end or come out somewhere else. But we are not going to give up nor let that deter us from getting the criminals who are at the centre of all this drug trafficking and planting."
