A claim that $10,000 was earned from the sale of marijuana has led the High Court in Suva to freeze cash, groceries and household items seized from a Gau Island couple, after the Court found reasonable grounds to suspect the property was linked to drug activity.
The Director of Public Prosecutions had made the application for the seizure with Justice Vishwa Datt Sharma granting a restraining order over items including $4,400 in cash, groceries valued at more than $3,600, solar equipment, a chest freezer, mobile phones and a Yamaha outboard engine.
“The admission of the First Respondent that she obtained $10,000 from selling marijuana, that she used part of the money to purchase groceries and that the balance of $4,400 remained at hand, is a significant factor,” Justice Sharma said in his judgment delivered on January 21.
Police told the Court the woman was arrested in August 2022 after officers received information about drugs being cultivated on Gau Island and transported to Suva for sale.
During a caution interview, she allegedly admitted the money found hidden under a carpet was part of the proceeds from drug sales.
The Court also heard that her husband admitted ownership of drugs found at their home and later guided police to a plantation where 732 cannabis plants, weighing more than 190 kilograms, were uprooted. Laboratory analysis confirmed the plants were cannabis sativa.
Justice Sharma ruled the threshold had been met and granted the restraining order, noting police investigations indicated the respondents were involved in drug dealing operations from Gau Island.
