The Fiji Revenue and Customs Service says the captain of a yacht carrying a three-person crew voluntarily informed them in writing that an Australian visitor would not be travelling to the vessel's next overseas port of call.
FRCS says this declaration was taken into account when processing the yacht's outward clearance following a complaint by the Australian visitor over an alleged cash payment demand and the retention of his passport at Denarau Marina.
It says under section 72(1) of the Customs Act 1986, a vessel’s master must obtain clearance before departing Fiji for an overseas destination.
FRCS says section 72(2)(b) and (c) require the master, owner or authorised agent to answer questions about the vessel, crew, passengers and voyage, and provide the required vessel and passenger documentation.
FRCS says the departure documentation therefore needed to accurately reflect who would be travelling aboard the yacht.
It confirms that the captain initially held the visitor's passport and says it subsequently liaised with Immigration, after which the passport was returned to the captain.
FRCS also confirms that it did not detain the visitor.
It says it understands that the visitor holds a valid outbound ticket and is expected to leave Fiji by the end of October 2026.
FRCS says it remains committed to fulfilling its border protection responsibilities under the Customs Act and treating all visitors to Fiji’s ports with courtesy, respect and in accordance with the law.
This follows a formal complaint lodged by an Australian visitor with FRCS, alleging that a Customs Officer at Denarau Marina demanded a FJ$240 cash payment, refused his offer to pay part of the amount by EFTPOS and retained his passport.
The visitor claims the officer insisted that he withdraw additional cash from an ATM after saying the EFTPOS machine was not working.
He also alleges that the officer told him he would not be allowed to leave Fiji unless he paid the amount.
The visitor has raised concerns about the legal basis for the charge, payment procedures, the retention of his passport and questions about whether he would continue on the voyage.
He says the incident led to the yacht's captain deciding to disembark him from the vessel.
