Hawai‘i Police Department Vice 2025 Drug Recovery Stats

News Release from Hawai’i County PD, January 27, 2026

Hawai’i Police Department (HPD) is committed to fighting drugs on island and apprehending those that distribute and sell illegal narcotics.

In February 2025 the department consolidated its two Vice units, operating separately within the Area I (East Hawai‘i) and Area II (West Hawai‘i) Criminal Investigation Divisions, into a unified Vice Division. The unit is under the command of Captain Edwin Buyten, a veteran vice commander with 24 years of law enforcement experience, the majority of which has been dedicated to narcotics investigations.

During the first year of the unified Vice Division, Hawai‘i Police Department recorded a significant increase in drug recoveries to the point it now leads the state in total drug seizures.

During 2025, Hawai‘i Police Department Vice officers recovered the following illegal drugs:

75.3 pounds of methamphetamine.
20.5 pounds of cocaine.
5.45 pounds crack cocaine, heroin, and ketamine.
nearly 2 pounds of illicit fentanyl.
more than 550 fentanyl pills.
more than 1,000 pounds of dried marijuana, including 771 marijuana concentrate pills; 687 plants; 22 pounds of concentrates, marijuana dabs, and oil; and 11 pounds of edibles.
4.8 pounds of other illegal narcotics, psilocybin (mushrooms), MDMA, LSD.
789 drug paraphernalia items.

The nearly one kilogram of illicit fentanyl recovered by Vice officers in 2025 alone had the potential to cause 500,000 fatal overdoses, an amount comparable to every man, woman, and child on the islands of Ni‘ihau, Kauai, Maui, Moloka‘i, Lāna‘i, and Hawai‘i Island, plus the Oahu communities of Kapolei, Ewa Beach, and Royal Kunia.

“The results we’re seeing are a direct reflection of the dedication, hard work, and persistence of our Vice Division officers,” said Interim Chief Reed Mahuna. “These officers are relentlessly focused on identifying traffickers, building solid cases, and preventing these drugs from ever reaching our island streets. Much of their work happens out of public view, with little fanfare, and I am immensely proud of Captain Buyten and his team for their exceptional work during their first year as a unified division.”

Vice investigations also resulted in the seizure of a large volume of drug paraphernalia, including hundreds of vape devices, scales, pipes, grinders, and other tools commonly used to distribute and consume illegal drugs. Removing these items helps disrupt ongoing drug activity and prevents continued harm.

In addition to drugs and paraphernalia, Vice officers recovered the following in 2025:

73 firearms
1,800+ rounds of ammunition
Explosive materials
more than $424,000 in US currency and assets connected to drug trafficking.

These seizures directly reduce violence and help dismantle organized criminal activity operating on Hawaiʻi Island.

From February through December 2025, Vice investigations resulted in:

297 arrests for 1,146 offenses
427 warrants and 14 parras warrants issued

While these numbers are significant, they represent steady, disciplined work carried out behind the scenes,” said Captain Buyten. “Our focus remains simple: reduce harm, protect the community, and hold offenders accountable.”

The Hawaii Police Department thanks the Hawai‘i Island community for its tips and cooperation, as well as its state and federal partners for their assistance in the hundreds of successful investigations throughout the year.

Members of the public are encouraged to report illicit drug use and distribution through the department’s Vice tip hotlines (808) 329-0423 for Kaʻū, Kona, South Kohala, and North Kohala, and (808) 934-8423 for Puna, South Hilo, and Hāmākua/North Hilo. Safety tips regarding illicit drugs can also be found on our website at: https://www.hawaiipolice.gov/services/crime-prevention-and-safety-tips/

Moving forward, our monthly illicit fentanyl recovery media releases will feature additional drugs recovered for the preceding month.