Cocaine replaced with flour in Suva High Court exhibit room
Wednesday 30 September 2026 · 3 outlets · 3 reports · updated 
Fiji police have confirmed that approximately 40kg of cocaine stored at the Suva High Court was replaced with flour. Six persons of interest have been identified following the discovery that some of the 39 cocaine bars were missing. Forensic tests on the remaining substance returned negative results.
The full story
1 min read · 3 outlets
Fiji police have confirmed that 39 cocaine bars stored in a Suva High Court exhibit room were tampered with and replaced with flour. Forensic tests on the remaining drug exhibits returned negative results. The 40kg of cocaine was originally seized in 2019 during the Joshua Rahman case and was moved to the High Court vault in March 2021.
Police Commissioner Rusiate Tudravu stated that six persons of interest have been identified and investigators have recorded statements from 27 individuals. One person of interest is reportedly overseas and will be questioned. A dedicated team including senior investigators from the Major Crime Unit and digital forensic unit has been established at CID headquarters.
Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka said the incident shows the exhibits were not as secure as previously thought.
Compiled from reports by NZ Herald, 1News and Stuff.
How they headlined it
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NZ Herald
‘A sad indictment’: Flour replaces cocaine exhibit stored at Fiji court (opens in new tab)
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1News via RNZ
Six persons of interest identified over cocaine missing from Fiji court (opens in new tab)
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Stuff via RNZ
'A sad indictment': Flour replaces nearly 40kg of cocaine exhibit in Fiji court (opens in new tab)