Border security agencies must carry out their own internal investigations to flush out their own who are involved in the drug business, says Fiji Home Affairs Minister Pio Tikoduadua.
Tikoduadua said there was a zero-tolerance policy for security officers involved in the movement of drugs, an activity that has been happening for years.
“I have demanded for the police to really tighten up their processes in keeping the police first, their professional institution accountable and to weed out corruption within the force,” he said.
“The concern is that as the commissioner (of Police) would tell you that the police were involved in a very big way in the past.
“We need to nip this in the bud, and I would not be surprised if other government agencies responsible for border protection are also compromised.”
Tikoduadua said he would not stand for agencies protecting their people who’ve been implicated in these criminal activities.
“The police have the authority to investigate that as they are doing now, plus also these other institutions must also conduct their own validation processes to make sure that they are not harbouring corrupt officials who are allowing these things to come through if they are doing that at all.
“There cannot be any tolerance of this whatsoever.”
Tikoduadua said the law is the law, and that these people – police, customs, border officials – “their first job is to uphold the law because it is the law that makes them do their work”.
“It gives them the legal authority to do their work and they should not be breaking the law or doing criminal activities that we now suspect some are doing.
“The police should come down hard on these people in their investigations and whoever is found should bear the full brunt of the law as a consequence,” he said.
SOURCE: FIJI TIMES/PACNEWS
