Fiji Police Investigate Theft of 52 Kilograms of Cocaine From High Court Evidence Room

Fiji Police have confirmed that more than 52 kilograms of cocaine have gone missing from an evidence room at the country's High Court, with a portion of the stolen drugs secretly replaced with flour. Depending on its purity, the total missing quantity carries an estimated street value exceeding $20 million.

The investigation unfolded after police initially revealed that 32 kilograms of cocaine, held for the trial of Fiji-Canadian national Joshua Aziz Rahman, had been swapped with flour. This followed an earlier announcement two weeks prior regarding 7 kilograms stolen from the same Suva facility. During a press conference on Wednesday, police officials disclosed an additional 12.9 kilograms were missing, stemming from a 2018 seizure from the yacht of Australian horse trainer John Nikolic.

Security Failures and Key Suspects

Senior Superintendent Peni Tuivaga confirmed that critical security infrastructure failed during the period the thefts occurred. Portions of the courthouse evidence room's CCTV system were inoperable, and its biometric security system was faulty when the 32 kilograms were replaced with flour.

Fiji Police Commissioner Rusiate Tudravu stated that authorities are focusing on six people of interest who had authorized access to the evidence room. One of the suspects is currently located overseas. Tudravu clarified that while police are leading the urgent probe, the judiciary maintains responsibility for the court's exhibit room once evidence is deposited there.

Audits and Policy Changes

The missing 12.9 kilograms from the Nikolic case came to light during an application for drug destruction in March. Nikolic was convicted in 2019 for importing illicit drugs and sentenced to at least 18 years in prison, but the evidence was retained due to an ongoing court-ordered appeals process.

In response to the breaches, police and judicial authorities have launched a comprehensive audit of all drug and cash exhibits held across police facilities nationwide. Additionally, Fiji's Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions noted that following the establishment of the country's anti-narcotics division in 2024, policies have been updated to prioritize court applications for the destruction of seized narcotics.