Fiji High Court sentences nine for massive drug import

Remember Fiji's biggest ever drug bust and one of the biggest in the entire world? In late January 2024, Fiji Police seized 4.1 tonnes of methamphetamine, estimated to be worth $2 billion, at a Nadi warehouse. Subsequently, 13 people, including two with the chiefly title of Ratu and two foreign nationals, were charged with importing or possessing illicit drugs. Surely, as I wrote at the time, this case would test the Fiji government's stated resolve to fight the crime syndicates' invasion of these jewels of islands.

If you missed that news, read here of how the low-crime Fiji I knew twenty years ago has transformed to become the Pacific hub for the transit, manufacture and supply of drugs to the Australian and New Zealand markets.

Trial of nine at Lautoka High Court

4.1 tonnes of meth seized at Nadi. Source: Fiji Police

After a lengthy investigation, late April 2025 trial dates were set for 10 of the 13 arrested in January 2024. All accused were released on bail when charged. Yet when the trial was postponed, I feared that this could be another case that was defeated by endless delays.

Despite my fears, just last month the trial of nine accused was held at the Lautoka High Court. All nine were convicted on charges ranging from illicit drug importation to possession. But until the convicted were sentenced, Fiji's ability to defend itself against the takeover by the unrelenting drug cartels was still on trial.

Fiji is a hub for Mexican drug cartels targeting New Zealand and Australia (1 News, NZ)

Sentences for drug smugglers set by High Court

On 27th August, Justice Aluthge sentenced ringleader, Justin Ho, to life in prison with a non-parole period of 30 years. Ho's co-conspirator, David Otto Heritage, will serve 55 years' jail with a 25-year non-parole period. Sentences for the other seven convicted, including two bearing the chiefly title Ratu, range from 25 years to 15 years with varying non-parole periods. These sentences are by far the most severe ever to be handed down for drug-related convictions in Fiji.

Justin Ho (centre front, wearing black) and others convicted of drug charges outside court. (ABC News: Lice Movono)

Reactions in Fiji

The mood in the days since Judge Aluthge sentenced the nine convicts has been one of quiet satisfaction rather than jubilation. Commentators agree Fiji has passed the test, demonstrating their police and courts can successfully prosecute criminals in major narcotics cases. Yet everyone is aware the evil drug cartels remain untouched.

State prosecutor John Rabuku said:

"We are happy with the sentence that has been passed on each of [the nine people], ... Fiji does have the prosecutorial know-how and Fiji does have a judiciary that's mindful of … the drug cartels across the world and transnationally into our region, and the effects … on vulnerable communities like the Pacific."

Check the full story and video on ABC News here.

Corruption of Counter Narcotics Bureau

As a response to the giant meth seizure, in July 2024 the government set up the independent Counter Narcotics Bureau to tackle drug issues, with officers seconded from the Fiji Police Force. However, following arrests this year of four Bureau officers for alleged methamphetamine imports and possession, the Police Minister announced yesterday that all current Bureau members would be returned to their original units in the Fiji Police Force immediately. He said that police officers who betrayed their oath and the trust placed on them would face the full brunt of the law, “just like any other citizen”.

A new unit is expected to be fully operational by the end of the current fiscal year. Just a few hours ago, the Fiji Times quoted the Prime Minister, Sitiveni Rabuka, “I am very embarrassed and very, very angry.”

As the Lowy Institute concluded in response to the Counter Narcotics arrests , "Regional leaders have been slow to grasp the infiltration of Pacific security agencies by criminal organisations. While recent events in Fiji underscore the severity of the problem, they also serve as a call to arms for regional governments, organisations, and communities to address these threats. Only through unified efforts can the Pacific safeguard its future from transnational organised crime."

What happened to the meth?

Are you wondering, like me, where those tonnes and tonnes of methamphetamine are now? A High Court order was made on 13 December 2024 to destroy the drug by vaporising it in a furnace, a destruction method practiced by law enforcement globally. This was carried out in February this year near Suva, at the Dignified Crematorium. The process was observed by the following stakeholders: the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Policing, Ministry of Health and Medical Services, Ministry of Environment, Fiji Military Forces, Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, Australian Federal Police, New Zealand Police, Energy Fiji Limited, Dignified Crematorium, International Observers, and the Nausori Town Council.

You can see the process here.

We can only hope the aid of Fiji's friends and allies will strengthen the tiny nation to resist the tide of poison before the islands become engulfed.

If you have friends interested in Fiji or Pacific islands in general, I encourage you to comment on and share this post.

I look forward to hearing from you!

Bernadette

B.M. Allsopp