The Fiji Revenue and Customs Service (FRCS) has intercepted approximately five kilograms of methamphetamine at Nadi International Airport, the agency announced on Wednesday, in the latest significant seizure to underscore growing enforcement activity at the country’s main air hub.
FRCS said the drugs were detected after officers applied coordinated risk profiling, intelligence‑led targeting and thorough baggage examinations. The agency described the concealment as involving “sophisticated attempts to evade detection,” but said vigilance and adherence to procedures by frontline staff led to the discovery. The individual linked to the consignment was taken into custody and, together with the suspected drugs, handed over to the Fiji Police Force’s Criminal Investigations Department and forensic teams for further probing and potential prosecution.
Chief Executive Officer Udit Singh framed the interception as proof of FRCS’s integrated border management approach and its wider role in protecting communities. “This detection is a clear demonstration of FRCS’s operational readiness, capability, and commitment to protecting Fiji and the wider Pacific region from the devastating impacts of illicit drugs. Every interception of this scale prevents harmful substances from reaching our communities and saves countless lives,” Singh said in a statement accompanying the announcement.
The seizure at Nadi follows a string of drug interceptions across the past months that have kept Fiji’s border agencies on alert. FRCS and police have earlier reported other notable finds — including an attempt involving about 2.3 kilograms detected through passenger targeting, a multi‑kilogram consignment uncovered in airfreight that prompted arrests and inquiries into possible links with enforcement personnel, and smaller postal interceptions near Nadi. Authorities say the cluster of cases highlights evolving tactics by traffickers and the need for sustained intelligence sharing and operational collaboration.
FRCS emphasized that the latest interception was the product of multiple operational units working in concert — from passenger intelligence teams to dog units and screening officers — and pointed to ongoing investments in capability building, stronger inter‑agency partnerships and enhanced intelligence frameworks to stay ahead of changing threats. The agency reiterated its dual mandate of facilitating legitimate trade and travel while safeguarding national borders.
The FRCS urged the public to remain vigilant and to report any suspicious activity to relevant authorities as investigations continue. The case now rests with the Fiji Police Force’s CID and forensic specialists, who will lead the criminal inquiry and any subsequent legal action.
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