Fiji police seize 12kg of cocaine packed with kava

By RNZ

Fiji police are questioning four people following the seizure of more than 12kg of cocaine that was packed with kava bound for overseas markets.

It comes less than a month after one of the biggest meth busts in the country.

Police from Lautoka seized a carton containing 12 silver packets from a resident who received the package, which was allegedly intended for pick-up by an aviation employee, Assistant Commissioner of Police (Crime), Mesake Waqa, said in a statement on Sunday.

He said sealed packets were processed at the Police Forensic Lab, where it was revealed that the 12 bars of a white substance were packed with kava.

Police say the seizure was made possible after they were alerted by the community. Photo / Fiji Police Force

He said the white substance was tested and the results came out positive for cocaine on both the presumptive and confirmatory tests.

A team from CID headquarters together with Lautoka CID conducted an investigation and four people are currently in custody for questioning at Lautoka Police Station, Waqa said.

Police said the seizure was made possible after they were alerted by the community.

“The sharing of information and photos of seized substances through the media is also aimed at educating the public on what to look out for, so they are not used by criminal elements,” Waqa said

He added: “This seizure is a wonderful example of what collaboration can achieve, and reiterates the call to work together as police cannot do it alone.”