THE boundless habits of selling marijuanas like cabbages at the Faumamanu market has now prompted a call to step up policing in the area – the biggest market facility in east Malaita.
The Solomon Star understands that many attempts that were made to curb this illegal activity had failed over the years..
During the last Boxing Day, the Solomon Star witnessed an incident where a female Police Officer chased off a drug dealer from the east Kwara’ae Highlands, after seizing marijuana plants that he brought to the market for deals.
The man however,returned with a kitchen knife and threatened the officer, which she then returned the seized marijuana parcel to the dealer.
“Such activity should not be practised at the market. The Faumamanu market is well-known for this practice in the past,” who was on holiday at her village, said.
“Now, I have seen it with my own eyes, and was trying to chase the man away and seize the marijuana parcel but he was very lucky to escape,” she added.
“This also shows how weak policing in this side of east Malaita is.”
The nearest Police posts in Atori and Atoifi were a few kilometres away, but with different challenges faced, they still could not deal with matters like this, when reported.
Atori is some two to three kilometres away, however, the in-activeness of the officers was something that the people of east Malaita were more concerned about.
Atoifi is a satellite police post for Atori, with all logistics support forwarded to the Atori station.
Meanwhile, the female officer spoken to said she will forward the people’s call to the Police Commissioner for an active policing in the area, to crack down on illegal activities around the east Kwara’ae region, especially the Faumamanu market.
“Deploying police officers to the market area during each market day during the week might be a good start,” one village elder suggested.
With pics of Faumamanu market
By RONALD TOITO’ONA
