THE Fiji Detector Dog Unit (FDDU) joint team has recorded seizures of illicit drugs estimated to be worth more than $17 million over the past three years.
While speaking at the Pacific Detector Dog Program annual workshop in Nadi yesterday, Fiji Police Force Commissioner Brigadier General Sitiveni Qiliho said the social costs were just as devastating.
“Since 2016, the FDDU joint team has recorded seizures of illicit drugs estimated to be worth more than $17 million.
“For the 2017 and 2018 period, more than $320,000 in currency has been seized, with one case of firearms also recorded during this period.
“While the seizure of drugs may be estimated to be more than $17 million, the social cost brought on by the illicit trade is also staggering, as the devastation extends beyond the user resulting in massive social costs.
“According to the New Zealand index on calculating the social cost of the $17 million seizure, having factored in the social cost on the user, the community, health services and the economy, the social cost is estimated to be worth more than $33 million.”
He explained the Pacific region was no different from Fiji’s situation.
“For any small Pacific economy, this is a worrying figure considering our respective governments are already having to meet and cater to the development needs of its people and the additional expenditure of a social burden brought on by criminal elements is sure to impact the development of any nation.
“It is imperative for us to find and use all possible means to step up our fight on drugs in the Pacific region so that criminals from well-to-do economies are not given the opportunity to come in and exploit and profit from our people, further burdening our economies,” Brig-Gen Qiliho said.
