Northern Territory police believe they've made a dent in a kava dealing syndicate, but say there are others out there still exploiting remote Indigenous communities.
In a six-week operation four people have been arrested and charged with possessing and supplying a commercial quantity of kava, with a combined total of 760 kilograms, and worth $760,000.
About 1.2 tonnes of kava has been seized in the NT over the past 12 months, but police say that has not led to a reduction in use.
Virtually all of the seized kava was destined for indigenous communities in Arnhem Land where it is sold at exorbitant cost to people who do not have much money, Detective Acting Senior Sergeant Mark Malogorski said.
"They view indigenous communities as a soft target and they're being exploited," he told reporters on Thursday.
"Children in these in communities are not being fed" as a result of their parents' use, he said.
Snr Sgt Malogorski said the drugs were being transported to Australia from the Pacific, where kava is not illegal and is used for medicinal and cultural reasons.
It has a numbing effect when brewed and drunk.
"Whether you call it a soft drug or a hard drug it is illegal," Snr Sgt Malogorski said.
He said Tongans and Pacific Islanders were involved in the syndicate working in the NT.
It was not uncommon to fine $50,000 to $100,000 when arresting dealers.
"The amount of kava we're still seizing shows how profitable it is," he said.
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