An Australian traveller is demanding answers after claiming that two gold bars worth approximately US$26,000 (FJ$58,000) went missing following a customs inspection at Nadi International Airport.
Ronnie Wong alleges that the two 100-gram gold bullion bars disappeared from his bag while he was transiting through Fiji on October 15, 2026, on his way from Los Angeles to Adelaide.
Mr Wong said he was stopped by customs officers at approximately 7am and that an officer took his bag containing the gold away from his sight for inspection.
The bag was subsequently returned, but he claims he discovered the gold was missing only after arriving home in Australia.
“At the time, I had no reason to believe anything was missing. However, when I arrived home, I discovered that both gold bars were no longer in the bag,” he said.
The missing bullion has a combined weight of 200 grams and an estimated value of US$26,000.
Mr Wong said he reported the incident to Fiji Customs, Fiji Police, Nadi International Airport management and the Australian High Commission.
However, he claims that despite repeated follow-ups, he has yet to receive a substantive investigation report or satisfactory explanation.
In an email dated October 19, Mr Wong requested that CCTV footage from the airport be preserved and examined.
“I was carrying a quantity of gold bullion and pulled aside by customs around 7am,” he wrote to Fiji Airports..
In a response on the same day, seen by The Fiji Times, a Fiji Airports representative acknowledged the complaint and confirmed that the matter would be referred to the airport’s security team.
“We acknowledge your report and will coordinate with our Security team to investigate and request preservation and review of the relevant CCTV footage,” she said.
Mr Wong followed up again on October 23 and subsequently sent another email seeking an update on the investigation.
“It has now been 11 days since I reported the incident to Fiji Customs, Fiji Police, Nadi Airport management and the Australian High Commission,” he wrote in the later correspondence.
“So far, I have only received an acknowledgement advising that the matter would be investigated.”
He requested confirmation that relevant CCTV footage and customs inspection records had been preserved, along with details of which authority was leading the investigation.
“Given the extremely high value of the missing gold I can also fly out to assist and meet with the team,” he wrote in his October 23 email.
Mr Wong stressed that he was not accusing any particular customs officer of wrongdoing but wanted an independent investigation to establish what happened.
“I understand that an investigation needs to establish the facts, and I am not making an allegation against any particular individual,” he said.
“However, the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of such valuable property are deeply concerning.”
He said he decided to approach the media after becoming frustrated by the lack of detailed information about the investigation.
“I am hoping that media attention may encourage the relevant authorities to take the matter seriously, provide answers and establish what happened to my property.”
Questions have been sent to Fiji Airports.
