AN alarming street value estimate of $50million has been placed on marijuana confiscated over the past five years from the highland region of Navosa.
The figure collated by police yesterday follows the biggest single raid this week of three marijuana plantations where close to 7000 plants were uprooted just outside Tonuve Village in the district of Bemana.
Police said the plants would have been ready for harvest in December with a street value of more than $2million.
Keyasi station officer Inspector Kitione Kulavere said police were tipped off by villagers in the area.
He led the team of six officer from the Keyasi station and villagers decided to visit the area later that evening.
Eight villagers from Tonuve and Voliganerua, including the two turaga ni koro (village headmen), assisted police carry out the raids. No one was at the farms at the time.
Police public relations officer Atunaisa Sokomuri said the villagers provided 10 horses to transport the team to the plantations.
Mr Sokomuri said the raid was believed to be the largest ever in the country with its street value expected to increase when plants, averaging three feet in height, reach maturity.
"These raids have been made possible through Operation Valoma that was initiated by police to work together with the relevant stakeholders in the province," said Mr Sokomuri.
"From what we understand the plants were to be ready for harvesting at the end of the year and ready for sale on the streets over the festive season," he said.
"Police were tipped off by villagers who came across the farms while pig hunting.
"Theses people who are farming marijuana are moving to what we call is no man's land. No villagers live around here as it is very isolated.
"Many of the discoveries have been stumbled upon by accident. So the farmers are moving their farms further inside. By the time police arrive, there is no one there."
Inspector Kulavere said villagers have been supportive of the police efforts to combat drug trafficking in the area.
He said since the launch of Operation Valoma, the police have been working side by side with the vanua, its chiefs and the churches.
"We do face challenges but it's not that big and it can be minimised because we are now working very closely with the main stakeholders in the area which are the chiefs, the villagers and the church which is very important for us," he said.
"The main disadvantage is that Keyasi is a very big and remote area and there are a lot of roads through the area.
"But in order to deal with the drug crime we need to have the assistance of other agencies."
Last week, Navosa Central College principal Jone Malimali said some of his students as young as Form One smoked marijuana "although we can't see them actively".
"The symptoms are there, they sleep in school and their exam results are very poor," he said.
He said the problem was such that "before, we used to sweep marijuana out of classrooms".
Mr Malimali said the sad part was that marijuana was a source of living for most families.
"It's their livelihood, so the children will see it from there."
Police Commissioner Esala Teleni said a comprehensive strategy would be needed to eradicate marijuana from the province.
