A 40-year-old Lautoka businessman was arrested and re-charged for allegedly facilitating the exportation of more than 39 kilograms of cocaine to Australia in 2019.
The man will appear in the Nadi Magistrates Court today, charged with one count of unlawful possession and supply of illicit drugs and one count of unlawful exportation of illicit drugs.
Police say the accused was initially charged in 2019 alongside a second suspect, a foreign national.
However, the matter was discontinued in court following a nolle prosequi filed by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
They say the accused is alleged to have, in October 2019, organised the transfer of illicit substances from the second suspect to Denarau, where it was subsequently handed over to another foreign national, who was arrested with the illicit substances upon his arrival in Australia.
Police say a multi-agency operation led to the arrests and subsequent charging of the two accused persons in Fiji in 2019.
They further say the matter was again pursued by the Criminal Investigations Department and the Serious Organised Crime and Intelligence Department.
With the assistance of the ODPP’s organised crime unit, the 40-year-old suspect was arrested and re-charged on the 20th of this month.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Crime, ACP Mesake Waqa, says the organisation is committed to disrupting and destabilising the illicit drug trade, ensuring those involved, whether locals or foreign nationals, are brought to justice.
ACP Waqa says efforts are underway, with INTERPOL’s assistance, to arrest the second suspect.
