A 40-year-old businessman from Lautoka has been arrested and recharged in connection with an alleged scheme to export over 39 kilograms of cocaine to Australia in 2019. The individual was initially charged alongside a second suspect, a foreign national, but the case was previously dropped after the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) discontinued the proceedings in court.
The accusations date back to October 2019, when the businessman is said to have coordinated the transfer of illegal drugs from the foreign national to Denarau. Subsequently, the drugs were handed over to another foreign individual, who was apprehended upon arrival in Australia while in possession of the substances.
The renewed efforts to pursue this case were spearheaded by the Criminal Investigations Department and the Serious Organised Crime and Intelligence Department. With assistance from the organised crime unit of the DPP, the Lautoka businessman was arrested and charged anew, facing one count of Unlawful Possession and Supply of an Illicit Drug, as well as one count of Unlawful Exportation of an illicit drug.
The businessman is scheduled to appear in the Nadi Magistrates Court tomorrow. Assistant Commissioner of Police, Mesake Waqa, emphasized the commitment of law enforcement to dismantling the illicit drug trade and ensuring that all involved, whether local or foreign nationals, are brought to justice. He also indicated that efforts are ongoing, with the help of INTERPOL, to locate and apprehend the second suspect involved in the case.
This arrest demonstrates a persistent approach by law enforcement agencies to address drug trafficking and uphold the rule of law, signaling a hopeful trajectory in curbing organized crime in the region.
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