'Shine A Light': Second Shipment Intercepted

A second shipment of illicit drugs was due to transit through Fiji in February this year, two months after 4.15 tonnes illegally made its way from a yacht to Nadi, undetected.

Informed sources, closely associated with the drug bust in Nadi in January this year, told Shine a Light the quantity of the February shipment was expected to be similar to the seized 4.15 tonnes of meth.

A Lebanese-Australian (name withheld), who is said to be the mastermind of the movement of drugs from the sea to Nadi, and within Fiji, had already indicated the pickup point of the second shipment.

The Lebanese-Australian owns and operates several properties in Fiji, including a fitness centre in Nadi.

It is noted he had given the coordinates of where the drugs were to be picked up to a Fijian business owner (name withheld) in Nadi, who is also a close associate of his – a relationship that was established months before the shipment of the hard drugs.

The Fijian business owner was one of the influential figures who also arranged for the 4.15 tonnes of meth to be shipped from the high seas to the mainland and the storage yards.

It is understood the pickup point for the second shipment is similar to the distance between Nadi and Rotuma Island, which was a problem for the barge captain, who was given the coordinates to carry out the pickup.

Informed sources said Police had followed up with the coordinates that were given. However, there was a diversion in the second shipment because of the 4.15 tonnes of meth that were seized on land.

The Lebanese-Australian had trusted his local associate with the second shipment because his associate was able to successfully bring the 4.15 tonnes of drugs to mainland Nadi.

When the Police had seized the drugs earlier this year, the Lebanese-Australian had already left Fiji for Australia. The illicit drugs were bound for Australia – a market that pays a lot of money for meth.

Containers of drugs found from the seizure of three tonnes of illicit drugs in Nadi on January 14, 2024. Photo: Police Media Cell

NADI DRUG BUSTS 

4.15 tonnes of methamphatamine valued at around $2 billion were on its way to Australia through Fiji when it was intercepted and seized by local police headed by the task force in the Eastern Division.

Some of the drugs were meant for Fiji.

In just a span of one week, between January 14 and January 20, Police raided Legalega and Maqalevu in Nadi.

The result was the seizure of 3.1 tons of meth stored in a vacant house that was under construction in Legalega, and 1.05 tons from Maqalevu.

Assistant Commissioner of Police (Operations) Livai Driu said Police had noted a 37 per cent increase in arrests following the drug busts.

“We’ve seen an increase in the number of drugs that were seized within the country on a smaller scale and people who were arrested,” ACP Driu said.

For the past seven months, Police recorded 1105 cases compared to the 805 cases for the same period last year.

Shine a Light had established earlier this year that the drugs seized from Nadi are stored at the Police Mobile awaiting the court’s decision on its destruction.

When the Police had seized the drugs earlier this year, the Lebanese-Australian had already left Fiji for Australia. The illicit drugs were bound for Australia – a market that pays a lot of money for meth.

 This is a developing story where we elaborate on the movement of the drugs. 

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