The Fiji Police Force has revealed that the cocaine seized during a major operation in Vatia on January 15, 2026, weighed 2.64 tonnes and carries an estimated street value of more than $1.1 billion.
Police said intelligence gathered by the Serious Organised Crime and Intelligence Department (SOCID) in July 2025 pointed to a significant drug shipment moving from South America towards the Pacific region.
This triggered months of intelligence collection and surveillance, carried out in close cooperation with the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
Investigators later flagged the movement of the illicit shipment in December 2025, identifying it as being transported via a semi-submersible vessel, with Fiji among the intended transit or destination points.
On the night of January 15, officers from the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), SOCID, and the Western Division Taskforce moved in, intercepting a vehicle in Vatia allegedly transporting bags containing parcels of illicit drugs.
A second team simultaneously raided a vessel at the Vatia wharf, resulting in the arrest of four Ecuadorian nationals and the seizure of additional drug-filled sacks.
Police confirmed that forensic analysis of the 2,630 parcels recovered tested positive for cocaine, with a total weight of 2.64 tonnes.
The haul is estimated to be worth about A$780 million, equivalent to over FJ$1.1 billion on the illicit market.
Police said the seizure represents one of the largest drug interceptions in Fiji’s history, highlighting the growing threat of organised international drug syndicates using the Pacific as a trafficking route.
Investigations are continuing as authorities work to identify and dismantle the wider criminal network behind the operation.
