A self-employed man has been convicted in the Suva Magistrate’s Court for unlawfully possessing more than four grams of methamphetamine hidden inside a modified water bottle in his vehicle.
Imran Khan was found guilty of one count of unlawful possession of illicit drugs following a trial before Magistrate Yogesh Prasad.
The charge arose from a police operation on February 7, 2023.
Officers conducting surveillance near the DHL building in Raiwaqa during a controlled delivery operation identified a vehicle driven by Khan and ordered him to step out before arresting him.
Police K9 officers searched the vehicle, during which the police dog, Zorro, alerted its handlers to a water bottle on the driver’s seat.
Officers discovered a concealed compartment in the base of the bottle containing a zip-lock bag with a white crystalline substance.
The substance later tested positive for methamphetamine, weighed 4.1364 grams, and had a purity level of 100 per cent.
After the prosecution’s case closed, Khan elected to remain silent and call no witnesses.
In his judgment, Magistrate Prasad found there was no dispute that Khan owned and controlled the vehicle and that the drugs had been deliberately concealed inside it.
The magistrate rejected the defence claim that police planted the drugs, describing the allegation as a self-serving assertion unsupported by evidence.
He also found that the chain of custody for the drugs had been properly maintained from the time of seizure through to forensic analysis and presentation in court.
Finding the prosecution witnesses credible, consistent, and truthful, Magistrate Prasad ruled that the offence had been proved beyond a reasonable doubt and convicted Khan.
The matter has been adjourned to June 23 for sentencing.
