‘King Khan’ convicted over methamphetamine found in vehicle

The Suva Magistrate Court has convicted Imran Khan, also known as “King Khan”, of unlawful possession of illicit drugs after finding he had knowledge and control of 4.1364 grams of methamphetamine found in his vehicle.

Khan was found guilty today following a trial arising from the discovery of the substance in Suva on February 7, 2023.

In delivering his judgment, Resident Magistrate Yogesh Prasad said the prosecution had proven its case through evidence presented by police officers involved in the search and investigation.

The court heard that Police Constable Peni testified that K9 officer Zoro reacted during the search and indicated a water bottle located on the front seat of Khan’s vehicle.

The court also heard that Khan was given access to the vehicle keys during the search and opened the car door before the search commenced.

Evidence presented during the trial showed that the detector dog later assisted officers in locating a crystal-like substance concealed in a cavity at the base of the vehicle.

The substance was subsequently analysed and confirmed to be methamphetamine weighing 4.1364 grams.

During his caution interview, Khan denied any knowledge of the drugs and claimed they had been planted by police officers after his vehicle keys were taken and the search team arrived later.

However, Magistrate Prasad rejected the claim, ruling that the vehicle had remained under police guard after it was seized and that Khan was the only person with access to and control of it.

The court also found that the chain of custody of the drug exhibit had been maintained and that there was no evidence it had been tampered with or compromised.

The matter was adjourned to June 23 for sentencing.