39kg of Cocaine Stolen From Fiji Courthouse, Replaced With Flour

Nearly 40 kilograms of cocaine worth about FJ$30 million ($13.3 million) have disappeared from the Suva High Court in Fiji, with investigators discovering that much of the seized drug had allegedly been replaced with flour.

The cocaine was seized in 2019 in a case involving Fiji-Canadian national Joshua Rahman, who was convicted of unlawful possession. The drugs remained in the court’s custody while appeals in the case were being heard.

Police said officials discovered on September 15 that seven of 39 cocaine bars stored in the courthouse vault were missing. A subsequent forensic examination found that the remaining exhibits were also not genuine cocaine, meaning none of the original seized drugs remained.

“Forensic tests conducted on the remaining drug exhibits have all returned negative,” police said in a statement. Authorities said the exhibits had been tampered with and that investigators were focusing on people responsible for managing evidence at the High Court Registry.

Police Commissioner Rusiate Tudravu said the cocaine had been placed in the court vault in March 2021, but investigators had not established when the theft occurred. He said the exhibits had previously tested positive for cocaine in 2019.

Six people working within Fiji’s judiciary have been identified as persons of interest because they had access to the vault, according to Tudravu. One of them was outside the country, while police have begun checking other exhibits held by the court, including seized cash.

The disappearance has triggered concern among lawmakers and members of the public over the security of evidence in Fiji’s judicial system. Opposition politician Jone Usamate questioned how authorities could now be certain that other exhibits held by the courts were what records said they contained.

Justice Minister Siromi Turaga described the incident as disappointing and said authorities were reviewing security measures and protocols at the High Court. The case comes as Fiji faces growing concerns over drug trafficking, with the country increasingly used as a transit point for narcotics destined for Australia, New Zealand and parts of Asia.

The latest incident is also not the first disappearance of seized cocaine in Fiji this year. Police discovered in March that another 12 kilograms linked to a separate criminal case had gone missing. Commissioner Tudravu said authorities were working to complete the latest investigation as quickly as possible and promised that anyone found responsible would be held accountable.