Court Orders Meth Destruction

The remaining batch of illicit drugs namely methamphetamine which had been part of police exhibit had been ordered to be destroyed by High Court in Lautoka judge, Justice Aruna Aluthge.

He approved the application for the destruction of the illicit drugs on Friday.

This is an application filed by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) seeking an order to dispose exhibited illicit drugs under Section 30 (3) of the Illicit Drugs Control Act 2004.

This is in relation to Justin Ho and nine others who are charged with importing more than 4.2 tons of methamphetamine with a street value of $2 billion into Fiji last December.

Ruling

Judge Aluthge ruled that;

1. A police officer not under the rank of Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) designated by the COMPOL is authorised to dispose the illicit drugs by incineration, or other safe means of destruction.

2. Before the destruction, two weeks’ notice shall be given to the Court and all the respondents indicating the date, venue and the modus operandi of destruction.

3. Subject to security protocols, the legal counsel of the respondents may be allowed to observe the destruction process.

4. The process of destruction shall be photographed and preferably video recorded.

5. To ensure the transparency and judicial supervision of the destruction process, the ODPP may request the Resident Magistrate of the area where the destruction is to take place to observe the destruction process.

6. The police officer in charge of carrying out the disposal order shall prepare a report signed by him and two witnesses to the disposal stating that the illicit drug has been disposed of in accordance with the order.

7. The report/certificate shall be filed in Court not later than two weeks after the destruction.

Feedback: mereleki.nai@fijisun.com.fj