Fiji police are intensifying their investigation into the disappearance of 39.5 kilograms of cocaine evidence valued at around $31 million from the evidence storage room inside the High Court in Suva. They discovered that the remaining evidence had been swapped from cocaine to baking flour. Six suspects have been identified, all personnel within the justice system, with one located abroad.
Fiji police are urgently investigating the large quantity of cocaine evidence missing from the evidence storage room inside the High Court in Suva. They found that the cocaine had been removed and replaced with baking flour. Police stated that six people connected to the case have been identified.
Fiji Police Commissioner Rusiate Tudravu revealed that officials found seven packets of cocaine missing out of a total of 39 packets earlier this year. The remaining evidence was sent for forensic testing, which found no traces of narcotics.
The cocaine was seized by police during a raid in 2019, consisting of 39 blocks. Each block weighed approximately one kilogram and was packaged in plastic. At the time of seizure, tests confirmed the substance was genuine cocaine.
Police began a serious investigation after 15 September when seven blocks of cocaine were found missing from the evidence room. Local media reported that the stolen and swapped cocaine weighed a total of 39.5 kilograms, valued at about $31 million. The remaining 32 blocks were filled with baking flour instead of cocaine.
Tudravu stated that examinations revealed all the evidence had been tampered with or altered, and the investigation is focusing on those directly responsible for the custody and management of the evidence within the High Court.
Police said they have identified six suspects for questioning, all of whom are personnel within the justice system, with one suspect currently abroad. Additionally, authorities have interviewed 27 individuals so far.
Tudravu also revealed that CCTV cameras and biometric data devices inside the court were unplugged, while officers from the Totogo Police Station have taken over security duties at the High Court in Suva.
Justice Minister Siromi Turaga described the incident as shocking and said the perpetrators will face full legal prosecution. He affirmed that no one will be exempt and noted that incidents like this are not unprecedented.
Local media reported that the cocaine had been seized from Joshua Aziz Rahman, a Fiji-Canadian, in 2019 and was held at the court as evidence during his appeal and sentencing in 2021.
Fiji is one of the Pacific island nations located on the drug trafficking route from Latin America to Australia. In recent years, the so-called "Pacific drug highway" has seen increasing smuggling of methamphetamine, with some of the drugs spreading into local communities.
The United Nations stated in 2024 that Fiji has become a major hub for drug trafficking in the Pacific region, with drug-related arrests—mostly involving methamphetamine—tripling in 2023 compared to previous years.