40 kilograms of cocaine held by court replaced with flour
Cocaine disappears from High Court vault
Nearly 40 kilograms of cocaine kept as evidence in a major Fiji drug case has gone missing from the Suva High Court. Police discovered that the remaining exhibits had been tampered with and replaced with flour.
The drugs were linked to the case of Fiji-Canadian national Joshua Aziz Rahman. The cocaine had been seized in 2019 and was kept at the court while legal proceedings continued.
Officials first found seven cocaine bars missing during an inspection of the exhibits. Further forensic testing showed that the remaining exhibits also no longer contained cocaine.
Police said the original exhibits had tested positive for cocaine in 2019. The drugs were later deposited at the High Court in March 2021, but investigators have not yet established exactly when the substitution happened.
Police identify six persons of interest
Police Commissioner Rusiate Tudravu said six persons of interest have been identified in the investigation. The people identified are connected to the judiciary and had access to the court exhibit room, while one is currently overseas.
Police are also examining how the court’s security systems were operating when the drugs disappeared. Local reports said CCTV cameras and the biometric system at the courthouse were not functioning properly.
“Forensic tests conducted on the remaining drug exhibits have all returned negative,” police said in a statement on Tuesday. “The exhibits were all tampered with and the investigation is focused on those directly charged with the management of the exhibits at the High Court Registry.”
Police have been collecting statements and examining documents as they work to establish a timeline. Authorities are also checking other exhibits held by the court, including seized cash.
Public questions court security
The cocaine theft has raised concerns about the security of evidence kept inside Fiji’s judicial system. Police and judicial authorities are now facing questions about how such a large quantity of drugs could disappear from a court facility.
“The replacement of the cocaine with flour, whatever it is, that is a sad indictment of … whoever is responsible,” said opposition politician Jone Usamate, speaking in Parliament. “How do you know now that what is in all those exhibits is really what is claimed to be in the exhibits?”
Justice Minister Siromi Turaga expressed his “disappointment” and shock over the incident. Authorities have said security arrangements and existing procedures at the High Court are being reviewed.
The disappearance has also renewed attention on Fiji’s wider battle against drug trafficking. The Pacific island nation has increasingly been used as a transit point for drugs moving towards Australia, New Zealand and other regional markets.
Another cocaine case adds to concerns
The latest investigation is not the only case involving missing cocaine evidence in Fiji. Authorities have also confirmed that 12.9 kilograms of cocaine connected to another criminal case had gone missing from the High Court exhibit room.
The second case involved cocaine seized in an earlier investigation, bringing the total amount of missing cocaine from the two cases to more than 52 kilograms. Police have started wider checks of drug and other exhibits held by authorities.
The disappearance of the cocaine “has come at a time when we are talking about transnational crime,” said Turaga, adding that “it goes to show the magnitude of the problem we are facing.”
“No one is immune from this. No stone will be unturned. Anyone found guilty will be made accountable,” he said.
“All of us are concerned. The government is concerned. I’m concerned about this,” said Tudravu. “That is why we are trying our best to conduct the investigation as fast as we can.”
The case has raised questions about how sensitive evidence was protected inside the court. Investigators are now trying to determine when the cocaine disappeared and who had access to it.
The identification of six persons of interest does not establish guilt, and the investigation is still continuing. Authorities are also checking other exhibits to determine whether the problem is limited to the cocaine cases or is wider.
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