POLICE have seized a large volume of what is suspected to be methamphetamine and arrested several foreign nationals in coordinated raids across the country this week.
The operations, led by the Serious Organised Crime Intelligence Department (SOCID) with support from the Fiji Detector Dog Unit, Police Mobile, and Fiji Immigration Department, resulted in arrests in Nadi, Lautoka and Suva.
Between Tuesday afternoon and early Wednesday morning, four foreign nationals were taken into custody in the Western Division.
Two were intercepted by SOCID officers in a rental car at Votualevu in Nadi on Tuesday, while a third was caught in Martintar later that night with white crystals believed to be methamphetamine.
A fourth suspect was arrested in Viseisei, Vuda, in the early hours of Wednesday.
Police confirmed that the raids yielded flasks containing zip-lock bags of suspected meth, as well as large sums of foreign and local currency.
Investigations are continuing to verify the total volume of the seizure.
Viseisei residents told The Fiji Times they were unaware a raid was taking place nearby, though some noticed unusual movement of vehicles and voices outside in the early hours.
In Suva, police cordoned off two properties on Rewa St following another raid linked to the same investigation.
Efforts to interview residents in the surrounding areas of both sites proved unsuccessful.
Police spokesperson Ana Naisoro confirmed the location was a place of interest.
“With regards to the home in Rewa Street, we can confirm at this stage that the location is a place of interest in an ongoing investigation, and more details will be released in due course,” she said.
