VILLAGERS TAKE ON MARIJUANA WAR

Villagers in the interior of Ba have vowed to work closely with police
to apprehend anyone smuggling marijuana.

Turaga ni Koro Iokimi Nadila said they would not have anything to do
with the marijuana trade, even if it involved a kinsman.

The comments come after Mr Nadila made a civil arrest last week,
seizing a bag of marijuana from two youths.

Mr Nadila said the two youths brought the bag of marijuana to the
village and kept it in their house.

"A family member brought the bag to me when he realised it was
marijuana," he said. "I went and called the boys and took them to police."

A chief from the village, Ratu Farasiko Lewagasa, said anyone caught
in the village with marijuana would be handed over to police.

"We prefer to let police deal with them," he said.

"We know it is not good, especially for the youths and we do not want
to see it here in our village."