Home / Crime and Justice / Fiji Court's Cocaine Evidence Swapped for Flour
Fiji Court's Cocaine Evidence Swapped for Flour
29 Sep
Summary
- Nearly 40 kg of cocaine disappeared from Fiji's High Court.
- Evidence was reportedly replaced with flour, confirmed by forensic tests.
- The stolen drugs are valued at approximately $31 million.
Nearly 40 kilograms of cocaine, with an estimated value of $31 million, have gone missing from the High Court in Suva, Fiji. Police announced on Tuesday, September 15, that an investigation was launched after the discovery of the theft of seven cocaine bars from an evidence room. Forensic analysis subsequently confirmed tampering with the remaining exhibits.
Reports suggest that the stolen cocaine, seized in 2019 from Joshua Aziz Rahman, was replaced with flour. Justice Minister Siromi Turaga stated that the incident is shocking and no one will be spared, noting that this is not the first occurrence of such a theft.
The theft occurs amid a significant rise in drug-related cases in Fiji since 2018, with the UN identifying the nation as a regional hub for drug trafficking in the Pacific.