$93M drug bust hits Fijian gang

Two Fijian nationals have been arrested in Western Sydney, Australia for attempting to import $93 million worth of cocaine.

The operation is widely reported to be connected to the 4.15 tonnes of methamphetamine seized in Nadi in January last year.

Police recovered 128 kilograms of cocaine in Condell Park last Saturday, highlighting the ongoing reach of the KVT criminal syndicate across Australia and the Pacific.

The suspects, Aisea Vatuwaqa, 24, and Cyspian Buadomo, 26, are linked to the KVT syndicate, a group of Fijian nationals based in Sydney with connections across Fiji.

The gang first gained international attention in August when nine individuals, including Australian deportee Jale Aukerea, were sentenced in the High Court in Lautoka over the Nadi meth seizure.

Aukerea, who owned the now destroyed King Kava business, received 50 years’ imprisonment for financing, storing, and processing the meth that was to be shipped in packaged kava bags to Australia.

The KVT syndicate grew from young Fijian men seeking protection, respect, and belonging in tough Sydney neighbourhoods. Mentored by the Alameddine crime family, the group became a street-level force, handling drugs, firearms, debt collection, and violent assaults.

Loyalty was rewarded with wealth, while prison was treated as an acceptable risk.

The gang has been involved in violent incidents, including a July shooting in Concord, Sydney, reportedly stemming from a fallout with the Alameddine family.

In 2021, KVT leaders Joseph Vokai and Samuel John Rokomaqisa were charged with attempting to murder rivals connected to the family.

Police in both Fiji and Australia continue to monitor the KVT syndicate closely, citing its growing influence and ability to operate across borders.

The latest arrests underline ongoing concerns about organised crime networks exploiting cultural ties and transnational connections to expand their criminal activities.

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