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.