Cocaine evidence missing from Fiji court was swapped out for flour, media say
SYDNEY: Several kilogrammes of cocaine held as evidence in a major Fiji drug case have gone missing from a court, police said on Tuesday, with media saying the drug, valued at about US$31 million, was swapped out for flour.
SYDNEY: Police in Fiji have discovered that cocaine evidence, valued at about US$31 million, has gone missing from a court following a theft of seven out of 39 cocaine bars in September. Forensic tests have confirmed that the remaining drugs were tampered with, leading investigators to believe the exhibits were swapped out for flour, according to the Fiji Village news outlet.
The drug exhibits were stolen from the High Court in Suva, the capital of the Pacific island nation. Police are questioning a person of interest who was allegedly overseas and will focus their investigation on those directly charged with managing the exhibits at the High Court registry. Fiji's Justice Minister Siromi Turaga stated that those responsible for the theft would face the full force of the law.
It was not the first instance of such an incident, and the surge in drug cases involving methamphetamine and cocaine since 2018 has led Fiji to become a regional hub for drug trafficking in the Pacific, according to the United Nations.
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