Four Fijians jailed in Australia over $300m cocaine plot

Four Fijians are among six men jailed in Western Australia after their bid to smuggle more than $300 million worth of cocaine ashore collapsed in what a judge described as a “comedy of errors.”

ABC reported that the group was caught after authorities swapped 2.4 tonnes of cocaine for plaster of Paris in an international sting led by the US Drug Enforcement Administration in 2022.

WA Police later dropped the fake cargo off the coast of Perth, triggering a bungled recovery attempt that ended with two boats damaged, wasted hours at sea and arrests at Hillarys Boat Harbour.

Fijians Isaac Henry Rabuatoka, Filipe Valesu, William Seru and Laban Saininaivalu, along with Australians Paul Masterson and Reremoana-Kahui Patrick Stanley, all pleaded guilty to attempted possession of cocaine with intent to sell or supply.

Valesu received the heaviest sentence of 11 years. Rabuatoka and Masterson were jailed for 10 years each, Stanley for eight years, Seru for six years, and Saininaivalu for five.

“It was a shambles, it was a disaster,” Judge Linda Black told the men.
“All of you were fools who got in way over your heads.”

Prosecutor Michael Cvetkoski said the six were used as “puppets” by drug traffickers who avoided risk while those in court paid the price.

“The parasitic nature of drug cartels means those who take all the risk are the ones who pay the penalties,” he said.

At the time, the 2.4-tonne seizure was described as Australia’s biggest cocaine bust.