Nine people convicted in Fiji’s 4.15-tonne methamphetamine case will be sentenced in the Lautoka High Court today.
The sentencing is scheduled for 12pm today before Justice Aruna Aluthge.
They were convicted last month and State prosecutors submitted recommended starting sentences based on their levels of culpability in the massive drug trafficking operation.
The court’s sentences are expected to reflect the severity of the unprecedented drug seizure and serve as a deterrent.
For top tier offenders, a starting sentence of 50 years was recommended for ringleaders Justin Ho, David Heritage, and Jale Aukerea, citing their key roles in the operation.
A starting sentence of 30 to 35 years was suggested for Louie Logaivau and Sakiusa Tuva.
A starting sentence of 25 years was proposed for Aporosa Davelevu, Osea Levula, Cathy Tuirabe, and Viliame Colowaliku.
The prosecution had argued that the 4.15-tonne shipment, with a purity of 70–80%, was one of the largest in the Pacific and posed a severe threat to Fiji.
Legal framework: Fiji’s Illicit Drugs Control Act sets a minimum sentence of 20 years for trafficking commercial quantities of methamphetamine, with the possibility of life imprisonment.