Major drug ring involving people in Fiji and New Zealand exposed

Major drug ring involving people in Fiji and New Zealand exposed

By Vijay Narayan
24/02/2019
The drugs found by New Zealand Police

A major drug ring involving some people in Fiji and New Zealand has now been exposed after some people were arrested in NZ.

One of the people arrested in NZ is a 60-year-old Canadian national and he has a possible link to the 31-year-old Canadian national, Joshua Aziz Rahman who was arrested in Caubati a week ago for being found in possession of $31 million worth of cocaine.


New Zealand Customs officers found methamphetamine hidden inside a hot dog grill [Photo: NZ Police]

When questioned by Fijivillage, Police Commissioner Sitiveni Qiliho said that some people connected to Rahman are persons of interest for Fiji Police.

He also confirms that Fiji Police have been working with their NZ counterparts.

Newshub reports that New Zealand and Fijian police have busted the group allegedly involved in smuggling methamphetamine from the US into New Zealand. Last week, police from NZ and Fiji made a number of arrests in what's been named 'Operation Nova."

The investigation began in December 2018 after New Zealand Customs found 5kg of methamphetamine inside a "cooking appliance".

Through the investigation, NZ police found an additional 6kg of the drug in cooking appliances, including hidden under a panel in a hot dog grill.

NZ Police say the overall value of the 11kg seized was NZ$5.5 million.

Four men were arrested in New Zealand on money laundering and drug charges a 50-year-old New Zealand national, a 33-year-old Chinese national, a 60-year-old Canadian national and a 19-year-old US national.

They appeared in the Auckland District Court.
 

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