A second shipment of illegal drugs was expected to pass through Fiji in February, following the earlier undetected transfer of 4.15 tonnes of methamphetamine into Nadi. Sources familiar with the drug activities reported that the upcoming shipment was anticipated to be of a similar magnitude to the previous one.
A Lebanese-Australian, whose identity has not been disclosed, is believed to be orchestrating the drug operations from the yacht to Nadi and throughout Fiji. He has reportedly communicated the specific pickup location for the second shipment to a Fijian business associate, who has ties to the drug trade going back several months.
This local business owner had a significant role in the earlier shipment of meth from the ocean to Nadi’s storage facilities. The expected pickup point for the new batch is said to be at a distance comparable to that between Nadi and Rotuma Island, presenting logistical challenges for the barge captain designated to retrieve it.
Law enforcement has pursued leads based on the provided coordinates, but the discovery of the previous meth shipment disrupted plans for the new one. Trusting his local associate due to past successes, the Lebanese-Australian had involved him in the latest operation.
After the police seized the drugs earlier this year, the orchestrator had already departed Fiji for Australia, where the drugs were intended, as Australia has a lucrative market for methamphetamine.
In related news, the Fiji police recently confiscated 4.15 tonnes of meth valued at approximately $2 billion, intercepted while en route to Australia. Some of this narcotic was also intended for distribution within Fiji.
During a one-week period, the police conducted raids in Legalega and Maqalevu, resulting in the seizure of an additional 3.1 tonnes of meth hidden in an unfinished house in Legalega, and 1.05 tonnes from Maqalevu.
According to Assistant Commissioner of Police (Operations) Livai Driu, there has been a notable 37 percent rise in arrests following these drug busts. In the last seven months, 1,105 drug-related cases have been recorded, a significant increase from the previous year’s 805 cases during the same timeframe.
The seized drugs are currently being stored at the Police Mobile facility, awaiting court instructions on their destruction. The Lebanese-Australian suspect had already left Fiji for Australia when the drugs were confiscated.