The New Zealand Parole Board has confirmed that Aiyaz Mohammed Musa Umarji, a Fijian national, appeared before it last Wednesday. Umarji was sentenced to four years in prison by the New Zealand High Court in August 2023 for importing pseudoephedrine tablets, which are a precursor for methamphetamine, into New Zealand.
Court documents reveal that Umarji, along with an accomplice, coordinated the shipment of 3,600 packets of the medication from Turkey to Fiji, passing through New Zealand. This consignment amounted to a total of 108,000 pills entering New Zealand.
At the time of the crime, Umarji owned the Hypercam Pharmacy in Lautoka and was in Fiji. In a plea agreement, he traveled to New Zealand to accept his four-year sentence in August 2023. He later appealed the sentence in December 2023, and the judge granted him a reduced term to three years and six months, acknowledging his return to face the charges.
Geordie Cassin, the communication manager for the New Zealand Parole Board, confirmed Umarji’s appearance before the board but did not disclose the outcome of the hearing. A ruling is expected to be released to the public within ten days.