Fiji’s Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has warned the country could soon enter a state of emergency as police and military launch a sweeping crackdown on drug-related gang activity, raising concerns about civil liberties and the growing influence of organised crime in the Pacific.
Security forces have established checkpoints across the country under a joint taskforce operation aimed at disrupting criminal networks, as Fiji is increasingly described as “ground zero” in the region’s drug crisis. Authorities say international cartels are using the island nation as a transit hub to access lucrative markets in Australia and New Zealand, while local communities are being drawn into the trade.
The crackdown follows an ABC News investigation linking Fiji’s drug trade to Sydney-based criminal groups, including the Alameddine network and the KVT gang, which New South Wales police have associated with high-level organised crime.
Rabuka said a state of emergency remains under consideration, a move that would grant expanded powers to police and military forces and could introduce curfews, movement restrictions and tighter controls on public expression.
The proposal has triggered unease among some Fijians, particularly given the country’s history of military rule under former prime minister Frank Bainimarama, who used emergency powers during his 15-year tenure.
Former attorney-general Graham Leung warned such measures should only be used in extreme circumstances.
“It is unprecedented, it’s an unusual step, and it’s not a decision to be taken lightly,” he told ABC News, cautioning that a declaration could alarm tourists and damage Fiji’s international reputation.
“It cannot be used as a pretext to put the country on hold, diminish civil liberties or censor the media.”
The escalating security response comes amid fallout from the suspected murder of alleged underworld figure Jone Vakarisi while in military custody.
Initially described by authorities as a “sudden and severe medical emergency”, a leaked death certificate later cited asphyxia, traumatic head injuries and blunt force trauma. Fiji’s military chief, Ro Jone Kalouniwai, subsequently acknowledged inconsistencies, and police have since classified the case as a murder, though no charges have been laid.
The case has intensified scrutiny of the military’s role in policing, with Amnesty International raising concerns about a potential “culture of impunity”.
It is further reported in local media that the allegations of torture have also surfaced, including claims from farmer Kelepi Komaisavou that he and others were forcibly taken to barracks, assaulted, and subjected to degrading treatment during interrogation.
Komaisavou alleged he was made to crawl along sealed roads, beaten, and forced to put his head into a pothole while being restrained. “I prayed to the most High to save me. I am here today because of His grace,” he said, adding he heard other detainees screaming and claims that some were subjected to hot water during questioning. Authorities have yet to respond in detail to these allegations.
Critics have questioned whether the high-profile crackdown is partly aimed at deflecting attention from Vakarisi’s death and the broader controversy surrounding military conduct.
Fiji Police have rejected those claims, stating the operation to “disrupt, destroy and dismantle criminal networks” would not be derailed by “misinformation and conspiracy theories”.
Police have shared images of raids showing small quantities of methamphetamine and cash seizures, though no major drug busts have been publicly confirmed. Among those detained is 38-year-old Imran Khan, also known as “King Khan”, described in local reports as an associate of Vakarisi. He has been charged with breaching a restraining order and denied bail.
While Rabuka has declined to comment on individual cases, he has made clear the crackdown will continue, with any decision on a state of emergency to be determined in consultation with police and military leadership.
Fiji’s Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Commission has urged caution, stressing that a state of emergency must be a last resort, grounded in clear evidence and subject to strict legal safeguards. Director Loukinikini Lewaravu said such powers must be temporary and proportionate, warning they should not be used as a political tool.
“The response must not come at the expense of democratic principles, human rights and dignity, and the rule of law,” she said, calling for a balanced approach that includes long-term strategies such as rehabilitation, education and community engagement.
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