Authorities crack down on Kwaso in Solomons

Updated January 30, 2009 17:09:35

To Solomon Islands now where authorities are cracking down on Kwaso, a very strong illegal homebrew, which police say can be deadly.

Presenter: Kerri Ritchie
Speakers: Solomon Islands local, Gang member, Acting Police Commissioner in Solomon Islands, Pete Marshall

KERRI RITCHIE: In markets across Solomon Islands, organised gangs are doing a roaring trade selling kwaso. In the capital Honiara, locals hand over $10 for a bottle of the homemade alcohol. They say it's a much cheaper option than beer.

SOLOMON ISLAND LOCAL: You're talking hundreds of them in there actually doing the selling right now as we speak.

KERRI RITCHIE: One gang member is happy to talk but for obvious reasons he doesn't want to be identified. He sells up to 70 bottles of kwaso a day.

GANG MEMBER: Sixty, 70, $10 per head of one. If 70, $700 plus.

REPORTER: Per day, that is per day?

GANG MEMBER: A day.

KERRI RITCHIE: New Zealander Pete Marshall is the Acting Police Commissioner in Solomon Islands.

PETE MARSHALL: We have a lot of youth around Honiara, they come in from the provinces, a lot of unemployment. And of course, money is very hard to come by and the making of kwaso is in fact quite an easy way for them to make money.
And in the weekends we have a lot of issues involving fights, involving disturbances and so forth, a lot of bravado, and we can actually sheet it home to a mixture of alcohol and the kwaso.

KERRI RITCHIE: Pete Marshall is in charge of 1000 police. He says Kwaso is causing serious problems and the potent drink was the reason seven of his officers were recently injured.

PETE MARSHALL: There was quite a nasty incident up at a place called Kowahill (phonetic) about December of last year where participating police force officers and members from the Royal Solomon Islands police came under attacks with stones and what-not. Quite a nasty incident going over about 20 minutes and we had to call for reinforcements.
And what we really found was that we were dealing with a community who were afflicted by kwaso. We ended up going back and making their life a little miserable should we say some days later and seized 1500 litres of Kwaso.

KERRI RITCHIE: He says the community has to cooperate with police.

PETE MARSHALL: We have a very active licensing team. They do great work. They seize hundreds of litres every week or thereabouts and of course it's comparatively easy to make so they tell me, a bit of yeast and a few other ingredients.

So we are trying to work a little bit smarter to see whether we can actually intercept the production line of the yeast when it is imported into the Solomon Islands to see if we can tackle it from that end.

The police can only do so much. We have a licensing squad of about 12 members. The community, the chiefs, the religious people, they have to get stuck in too and help us out and indeed we are getting a lot of information about it.

KERRI RITCHIE: But putting a lid on the illegal trade of kwaso won't be easy. Those selling it say it's the only way their families can survive.