Police Commissioner Rusiate Tudravu has confirmed fresh developments in the investigation into the missing cocaine exhibits from the High Court in Suva, saying investigators had made progress over the weekend and in recent days.
Mr Tudravu said police were pursuing an arrest warrant for a person believed to be overseas, with the intention of working with their international counterparts to progress the investigation.
He said police were liaising with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) on the legal process required to pursue the overseas arrest.
However, he declined to disclose further details about the latest developments, saying investigators still needed to verify information.
“There is a progress that has come up in the weekend and lately, and I don’t want to divulge more in regards to the investigation because there’s a lot of things that need to be confirmed by investigators,” he said.
In a separate development concerning the handling of drug exhibits, Mr Tudravu confirmed that a nationwide audit of drugs and money held in police exhibit rooms had been conducted.
He said preliminary updates from police divisions indicated that exhibits remained intact, with no adverse reports received so far.
He was awaiting the final audit report before providing a comprehensive update.
Mr Tudravu also confirmed that court approval had been granted for the destruction of drug exhibits connected to three cases, with police working to finalise the date and venue for the disposal.
He said the process involved investigators submitting the necessary applications through the DPP before obtaining court approval for the destruction of the exhibits.
