Cocaine evidence in Fiji court replaced with flour, media say

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SYDNEY — Several kilograms 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 $31 million, was swapped out for flour.

The drug exhibits stolen from the High Court in Suva, the capital of the Pacific island nation, amounted to nearly 40 kg (88 lb), media said.

Police began investigating after the September 15 discovery of the theft of seven out of 39 cocaine bars from an evidence room.

Forensic tests on the remaining drugs confirmed that exhibits had been tampered with, police said in a statement on Tuesday, adding that they would question a person of interest who was allegedly overseas.

"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 said.

The Fiji Village news outlet said the remaining 32 bars had been filled with flour.

Those responsible for the theft would face the full force of the law, said Justice Minister Siromi Turaga.

"It's shocking ... no one will be spared," he told news outlet Fiji One, adding it was not the first such instance. It was not immediately clear what punishment offenders face.

Media said the cocaine was seized from Fiji-Canadian national Joshua Aziz Rahman in 2019 and stored at the court as evidence while he appealed against his 2021 conviction and sentence.

Fiji police have said cases involving drugs such as methamphetamine and cocaine have surged since 2018.

In 2024, the United Nations said Fiji had emerged as a regional hub for drug trafficking in the Pacific.

The number of drug arrests, mainly linked to methamphetamine, more than tripled in 2023, it added in a report. — Reuters