Solid information and the bravado to execute a high-risk operation led to the seizure of the $2 billion worth of crystal methamphetamine in Nadi, last year. It was the Eastern Division Task Force team, led by former Divisional Crime Officer, Ifereimi Savou, who are to be commended. Their swift action dismantled and disrupted the illicit drug networks. They were able to prevent the 4.15 tonnes of meth seized from Legalega and Maqalevu from reaching Australia or further penetrating the local market. Their action led to the arrest of 15 people. It was the largest drug bust in Fiji and the region. Yesterday, Police Commissioner Rusiate Tudravu presented certificates of commendation to 10 of the 12 Police officers involved. Mr Savou thanked Commissioner Tudravu for acknowledging the officers’ bravery. But, these officers deserve more than just certificates. If captains of the Police rugby teams are promoted for winning the Sukuna Bowl and Escort Shield, why can’t it be the same for these officers who risked their lives to save the country? Anything could have happened on that morning of January 14, 2024. They were unarmed, going after the investment of foreigners and drug cartels who had connections locally. They crossed their jurisdiction and successfully carried out the raid. In July of the same year, the same task force received intel of 19 boxes containing cooking apparatus for possible clandestine labs and other pills stored at a warehouse in Nadi. They again acted on this information, which led to the arrest of those involved and the confiscation of the boxes that arrived from British Columbia, Canada. The task force was not the narcotics teams, which were well resourced and funded by their foreign partners. The Western Division, like the other divisions, had their own narcotics team at the time of the raid, which is not the case anymore. Instead, the task force was a small team with limited resources from the Eastern Division, often referred to as the ‘unestablished’ team. The drugs are now destroyed, incinerated into thin air at the Dignified Crematorium in Nakasi last week. Police and their foreign partners, together with the Republic of Fiji Military Forces, destroyed the drugs following a court order. It was also ordered by the court that 1 kilogram of the drugs be kept aside for Police training programmes. WHAT WENT DOWN It was Saturday, January 13, 2024, when the Eastern Division Task force team received information that several large containers of methamphetamine were stored in a house in Nadi. This followed their search of a vehicle in Nausori, where the driver was found in possession of meth, believed to be part of the 4.15 tonnes of meth hidden in Nadi. Mr Savou was informed of the intel. Upon his approval, a team of eight was mobilised, and at 10pm, they left Nakasi for Nadi, taking only two Police vehicles and a $100 to sustain them. Already working a shift of more than 24 hours, they were still determined to carry out a successful raid. They reached Nadi around 2am on January 14, 2024, and were joined by another task force team member, who was already in Nadi. The team regrouped at the Civil Aviation Authority of Fiji (CAAF) compound and left for Legalega at 2:45am. They reached the targeted location at 3am where they quickly secured the premises. It was a lean-to corrugated iron house that seemed to have been vacated minutes before the team reached the location. One of the officers knocked on the door and identified himself and the purpose of the team’s visit, but there was no response. The team was then instructed by their senior team member to secure the inner premises of the house after it was identified that containers wrapped in brown masking tapes with crystal-like substances were visible. Because of the possible threat surrounding the team, they sought assistance from the Namaka Crime Standby team. Together, the team was then instructed to load all evidence and have it transported to the Namaka Police Station for safekeeping. That morning, 3.1 tonnes of meth was seized. The team’s action also led to the seizure of the 1.05 tonnes of meth, some packaged in kava bags in Maqalevu, Nadi in the same week. THE TASK FORCE Each division had their own task force. The Eastern Division Task Force was formed in 2020 with initially 10 officers. The team later increased to 15 officers. When the task force in the other divisions were disbanded, Mr Savou decided to maintain his team because of how effective and successful the team was in responding to crimes. The Eastern Division begins from the Nakasi bridge to Nabulini in Wainibuka, Sawani to Monasavu, and the Lomaiviti Group, covered by the Levuka Police Station. Mr Savou said the team was always ready to respond to any crime. The team handled the case of Edward Nand, who murdered a 65-year-old man from Canada after a catfishing incident took a wrong turn. Nand was sentenced to life imprisonment yesterday. The task force was always proactive instead of the Police’s usual reactive approach, in which investigations are conducted after the crime is committed. The first successful operation by the task force was in May 2022, where four men were produced at the Nausori Magistrates Court for their alleged involvement in an attempted home invasion at the home of a businessman in Vuci Road, Nausori. The task force intercepted the four known criminals after receiving information about their alleged intentions. This act resulted in the arrest of the known criminals. “I chose this team because of their performance, and I can say I had the best team,” he said. “They know that they are always on the clock, whether it’s a home invasion, domestic violence or any report, they attend to them.” The task force was disbanded in December last year. Feedback: ivamere.nataro@fijisun.com.fj