Approximately 40 kilos of cocaine , held as evidence in a drug trial in Fiji, were stolen from the courthouse, and most of the substance was replaced with flour , CNN reports, citing local media.

The cocaine, valued at US$13.3 million (almost €12 million), was seized in 2019 in a case against Canadian citizen of Fijian origin Joshua Rahman, who was convicted of drug possession. The seized drugs had been held in the Suva High Court, but during an inspection on September 15, officials discovered seven of the 39 blocks of cocaine missing. Police have identified six individuals working in the Judicial Department who allegedly had access to the safe; one of them is currently out of the country.

This is not the first incident of this kind: in March, the police discovered the disappearance of another 12 kilograms of cocaine seized in a different criminal case.

Famous for its white beaches, the Fiji archipelago has been struggling for years to stem the surge in drug trafficking. The country has become a crucial transit point for narcotics headed from the Americas to the lucrative markets of Australia, New Zealand, and parts of Asia.

(Unioneonline/vl)