Turning a blind eye

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Young men smoking something from a bottle at Syria Park in Nausori. Picture: ATU RASEA

A businessman in Nausori claims police officers are on the take and is the reason they are turning a blind eye to the rampant drug dealing in the urban centre.

He claimed policemen who had sworn to uphold the law were taking money from drug peddlers, in return for not apprehending them.

The businessman who spoke to this newspaper on the condition of anonymity said this was why drug peddlers were openly conducting their business in broad daylight.

“I’ve seen it with my own eyes, these officers will come and stand next to these drug peddlers they would pass them $10 and then they (policemen) will walk away,” he claimed.

“It’s happening every day but no one seems to bother.”

He also said the trade was rife with drug peddling being done in every corner of Nausori Town.

“You go to Syria Park they are there, you go through town they are there, and if police cannot see this then I don’t know what kind of patrolling they say they are doing.

“It’s like they are using the police vehicle for their personal use.

“So many reports have been lodged to police by us and for them to say that we haven’t lodged any reports is a blatant lie,” he claimed.

“This town doesn’t need tents built, as said by the police, it needs action.

“Ten years ago we had reported about methamphetamine being produced in this town and look at what is happening now.”

A team from this newspaper witnessed an alleged drug deal in broad daylight in town on Monday and yesterday witnessed a group of youths openly smoking what appeared to be marijuana at Syria Park.

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