The New Zealand Parole Board has confirmed that Fijian national Aiyaz Mohammed Musa Umarji appeared before it last Wednesday. Umarji was sentenced to four years in prison in August 2023 by the New Zealand High Court for importing pseudoephedrine tablets, a substance used in the production of methamphetamine, into the country.
Court documents reveal that Umarji, along with an accomplice, arranged for 3,600 packets of the medication to be shipped from Turkey to Fiji via New Zealand, totaling 108,000 pills entering New Zealand. At the time of the offense, he owned Hypercam Pharmacy in Lautoka while based in Fiji.
As part of a plea agreement, Umarji left Fiji to receive his sentence of four years in August 2023. In December 2023, he appealed the sentence in the High Court, where it was reduced to three years and six months for his cooperation in facing legal consequences.
Geordie Cassin, the communications manager for the New Zealand Parole Board, confirmed Umarji’s appearance before the board but did not disclose the hearing’s outcome. A decision is expected to be made public within the next ten days.