Pubdate: Fri, 18 Jan 2008
Source: Fiji Times (Fiji)
Copyright: 2008 Fiji Times Limited
Contact:  http://www.fijitimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3445
Author: Ernest Heatley
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/raids.htm (Drug Raids)

DRUG DEALERS DEVELOP OWN SYSTEM TO BEAT THE NET

DRUG dealers are becoming increasingly sophisticated  and more careful
in their operations which contributed  to a lesser number of
successful drug raids around the  country, said Police Drug Unit head
Inspector Sakeo  Ganivatu.

Many suspected peddlers have fenced and locked  themselves in their
property and it takes us a while to  get in there during a raid.

That gives them time to hide whatever they are selling,  said
Inspector Ganivatu.

He said many drug peddlers had seemingly taken the time  to inform
buyers to take precautionary measures when  carrying out
transactions.

Before, they used to just walk in and walk out but now  they are very
vigilant. People are told to hide and be  secretive when buying drugs,
he said.

Police raided a house at Kinoya on Tuesday and seized  1.3 kilograms
of marijuana with a 26-year-old who  arrested at the scene.

A team of officers raided the Vesivesi Road property  about 9.30pm
after a concerted surveillance operation  in the area, said Insp Ganivatu.

Police officers recovered 73 sachets, 21 parcels and a  plastic bag of
dried leaves believed to be marijuana  from the kitchen, bedroom and
the toilet of the  premises.

Police have already transported the substances to  Koronivia Research
Station where it was identified as  marijuana.

However a Wednesday night raid on an inter-island  vessel which had
just arrived from the islands was not  as successful.

Insp Ganivatu said they had acted on a tip-off that  drugs had been
transported from the island but the  individual targeted had somehow
hidden the substance on  the boat.

He said police were handicapped because sniffer dogs  could not work
efficiently on boats.

Statistics show a major drop in drugs seized in police  operations
last year. In 2006, 8542 marijuana plants  were seized in operations
around the country. Only 1353  plants were uprooted by police last
year.
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