Cocaine exhibits missing from Suva High Court

Police have launched an investigation after seven bars of cocaine linked to a high-profile drug case were discovered missing from the High Court in Suva exhibit room.

The missing exhibits were uncovered during an official inspection conducted yesterday in the presence of senior judiciary officials, a senior representative from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, Police officers and a Crime Scene Investigations (CSI) officer documenting the process.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Crime Loraini Seru confirmed that the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) had been tasked with investigating the incident.

According to ACP Seru, officials conducting the inspection discovered that exhibits connected to the case had allegedly been tampered with.

The inspection revealed that seven bars were missing from the original 39 bars of cocaine that had been stored in the court exhibit room.

The discovery has raised serious questions about the security and integrity of exhibits held in court custody, particularly given the significance of the drug case involved.

Police have not disclosed when the exhibits were last accounted for or how long the alleged tampering may have gone undetected.

ACP Seru said a CID team was now investigating the circumstances surrounding the missing cocaine exhibits.

The investigation is expected to focus on how the exhibits were allegedly tampered with, when the drugs went missing and whether any criminal conduct was involved.

No arrests have been made and no further details were released yesterday as inquiries continue.