6,492 cannabis plants burned after raids on Guadalcanal Plains plantations
Solomon Islands police and the Participating Police Force raided cannabis plantations in the Guadalcanal Plains in early December 2013, starting at Roroni Community, and took 6,492 plants worth an estimated 13 million Solomon Islands dollars. After forensic samples, police burned the plants in a controlled burn, which the supervising commissioner called a record seizure.
Solomon Islands police and the Participating Police Force raided cannabis
plantations at Roroni Community in the Guadalcanal Plains area of Guadalcanal in
early December 2013.[1]The raid followed cooperation between the community
and police, according to a statement from the Police Media Unit relayed by
Solomon Times.[1]Police said the uprooted plants were being held at the
police station to help the investigation and the gathering of evidence.[1]
A total of 6,492 cannabis plants were taken from several locations, which the
broadcaster valued at an estimated street value of 13 million Solomon Islands
dollars.[2]Solomon Times put the street value of the Roroni plants at 14
million Solomon Islands dollars.[1]Supervising Police Commissioner Walter
Kola called the haul a record cannabis seizure by the Royal Solomon Islands
Police Force.[2]
After forensic samples were taken, police destroyed the plants in a controlled
burn on 12 December 2013.[2]Kola said police had identified a number of
persons of interest in what he described as a major ongoing investigation.[2]The joint police force warned that anyone caught planting, selling or using the
drug would face severe prosecution in court.[1]
Photos and video
Uprooted cannabis plants, captioned 'Marijuana is the most common illicit drug used in the Solomon Islands.' Source: Photo suppliedPhoto details
The sources give no separate date for the Roroni raid; 5 December 2013, the Solomon Times publication date, stands in for the incident date, and SIBC places the operations only in early December.
The number of hectares cleared is not stated, only that several hectares of plants were raided.
The final count of 6,492 plants covers a series of operations across several Guadalcanal Plains locations, so it cannot be attributed to the Roroni site alone.
Solomon Times put the street value at 14 million Solomon Islands dollars and SIBC, days later, at 13 million; the report uses the later 13 million figure.
SIBC describes the 6,492 plants both as seized from several locations and as burned, so the split between plants stored as evidence and plants destroyed is not clear.
No arrests were announced in these accounts; police said only that persons of interest had been identified.
SIBC's plant photo could not be confirmed as a separate picture of this event, so only one photo is listed.
No charges or court outcome were reported, and the investigation was still ongoing when SIBC published.
Left out, as its quotation was not found in SIBC Online: The police and the Participating Police Force carried out a series of operations on suspected cannabis plantations in the Guadalcanal Plains that month.
On 2 August 2026 officers at Tetere station uprooted more than 300 marijuana plants at the riverside near Ngalimera community in North Guadalcanal. The suspected grower ran off before police arrived and no arrest was made. Police repeated that cultivation is a serious offence under the Dangerous Drugs Act.
Police at Taro in Choiseul arrested a 27-year-old man on 6 March 2025 and charged him with growing prohibited plants under section 8(a) and possessing a dangerous drug under section 8(b) of the Dangerous Drugs Act. Officers uprooted his plants and found cannabis on him at the arrest. The case shows both limbs of the 1941 law being used against a small grower.
On 20 August 2024 police in Auki uprooted nearly 200 marijuana plants near Ngadefiu village in Central Kwara'ae, Malaita. Community leaders had helped the police, and the alleged owner ran off before officers arrived; no arrest was reported. The provincial commander praised the village for acting against cultivation.
On 12 August 2017 Solomon Islands police uprooted about 3,000 marijuana plants in two gardens at Mbarande and Mbalesuna in East Guadalcanal. One alleged grower was arrested and held in custody pending further investigation.