State seeks court approval to destroy 2.64 tonnes of cocaine
Prosecutors say the drugs will be retested and reweighed before any destruction is carried out.
Friday 09 October 2026 | 08:30
Updated 09 October 2026 | 10:26 FJT
Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions John Rabuku.
Photo: Ronald Kumar
The State is moving to destroy 2.64 tonnes of cocaine seized in the Vatia Wharf drug bust before the case goes to trial in February next year.
Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions John Rabuku said the State would file an application today seeking the court’s approval to dispose of the drugs, which have an estimated street value of around $3 billion.
The cocaine is currently being guarded by the Police Mobile Force (PMF) under 24-hour surveillance in Nasinu.
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Mr Rabuku said the State wanted the destruction completed before the trial so the case could proceed without the drugs remaining in storage.
“We are filing our application today to destroy the drugs, and then the defence are served, the court will fix it for a hearing date for arguments, and then we’re going forward with it,” he said.
He said the cocaine would be retested and reweighed before any destruction, as is normally ordered by the court in large drug cases.
This would allow the court to confirm that the quantity of drugs remained intact and give the defence an opportunity to have the exhibits retested.
Mr Rabuku said the court could also order a portion of the drugs to be retained for training purposes, including for canine units and police officers.
“Because we’re dealing with large amounts, the court wants to see that those amounts are still maintained.”
The Vatia drugs are also held under the direct supervision of the Director of the Criminal Investigations Department.
Mr Rabuku said early disposal was important given the security risks involved in storing large quantities of illicit drugs.
He said the State had previously secured the destruction of 4.5 tonnes of Legalega drugs well before trial in another case.
“My applications always come early. 4.5 tonnes was destroyed way before the trial date,” he said.
The Vatia case is scheduled for trial in February next year. Before then, the court will determine the application after the defence has been served and given an opportunity to make its arguments.
