4 Fijians jailed for 2.4 tonne cocaine importation in Australia

Four Fijians have been jailed for their role in an operation to import 2.4 tonnes of cocaine into Australia.

The cocaine was destined for Australia but was intercepted off the South American coast by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in 2022.

They are Isaac Henry Rabuatoka, Filipe Valesu, Laban Saininaivalu, and William Seru.

The other two men involved are Paul Masterson and Reremoana-Kahui Patrick Stanley.

All six were found in possession of cocaine with intent to sell or supply.

The six men were sentenced on Friday after pleading guilty.

Rabuatoka and Masterson have each been sentenced to 10 years in prison, Valesu to 11 years, Saininaivalu to five years, Seru to six years, and Stanley to eight years.

Prosecutor Michael Cvetkoski described those at the top of the trafficking operation as “puppeteers” who used the six men as “puppets.”

He says the men were each expecting tens of thousands of dollars for their roles, and there needs to be a strong message that the reward of "quick money" was not worth it and would instead result in a "stinging sentence".

[source : ABC]