Nearly 40 kilograms, or 88 pounds, of cocaine stored as evidence for a major drug trial in Fiji have been stolen from a courthouse and largely replaced with flour. The stash, valued at approximately 30 million Fijian dollars ($13.3 million), was originally seized during a 2019 case involving Fiji-Canadian national Joshua Rahman, who was convicted of unlawful possession.
The drugs were kept in the Suva High Court vault while legal appeals moved through the system. During a routine inspection on September 15, officials realized seven of the 39 total cocaine bars were missing. A subsequent investigation confirmed that the entire cache had been tampered with; forensic tests on the remaining exhibits returned negative for the drug, revealing the substitution. And that none of the original seized cocaine remained, that kicked off an investigation that ultimately found that all of the remaining cocaine were dupes.
Police Commissioner Rusiate Tudravu stated the cocaine had been held in the vault since March 2021, though the specific timing of the theft remains unknown. Authorities have identified six persons of interest within the judiciary department who possessed vault access. One individual is currently outside the country. In response, officers are conducting a wider audit of all court exhibits, including seized cash, to ensure further security. The cocaine theft has raised serious questions about security in the country’s judicial system and prompted outrage from the public and lawmakers.
Justice Minister Siromi Turaga expressed deep shock and disappointment regarding the security failure, noting that the incident highlights the massive challenges the nation faces against transnational crime. He promised that no one would be shielded from the investigation and that those responsible would be held accountable. The government is now moving to upgrade security protocols at the High Court to prevent future breaches. Anyone found guilty will be made accountable,” he said.
This incident is the second significant loss of drug evidence this year in Fiji. In March, police discovered that 12 kilograms of confiscated cocaine from a separate case had also vanished. When pressed by local journalists on why security measures were not reinforced following that first disappearance, Commissioner Tudravu emphasized the urgency of the current investigation, stating, “All of us are concerned. The government is concerned. I’m concerned about this.” According to the disappearance of the cocaine “has come at a time when we are talking about transnational crime,”, Turaga, adding that “it goes to show the magnitude of the problem we are facing.”.
Opposition politician Jone Usamate addressed the incident in Parliament, labeling the substitution of drugs with flour a “sad indictment” of those managing the evidence. He questioned the overall integrity of the court’s exhibits, demanding transparency regarding the security of other items held in custody.
Fiji, renowned for its tourism industry, has struggled to contain a growing narcotics crisis. The archipelago serves as a critical transit point for drug trafficking from the Americas to markets in Australia, New Zealand, and Asia. The influx of illicit substances, particularly methamphetamine, has triggered a severe addiction crisis, which officials have identified as a primary contributor to a recent surge in HIV cases across the islands. White-sand beaches and teeming coral reefs, Fiji has struggled for years to contain a drug boom, an archipelago famed for its friendly culture. Seen as a key driver of an HIV epidemic that Fiji recently declared a national emergency, massive stockpiles of methamphetamine smuggled onto the islands by cartels have spurred a widespread addiction crisis.
