The only cruise ship that visited Suva this month, the Norwegian Sun was intercepted by the Fiji Revenue and Customs Service (FRCS) for illicit substance last week.
The Bahamas flagged ship arrived in Suva on Saturday September 6. It was also scheduled to visit Savusavu after departing the Capital City.
According to FRCS, its customs officers acting on credible intelligence conducted a targeted search of a passenger’s cabin which resulted in the discovery of prohibited substances.
The passenger was later referred to the police for further investigation.
The customs service said the matter was brought before the court and the passenger was formally charged and penalised in accordance with the law.
FRCS chief executive officer, Udit Singh said the interception reflected the vigilance and professionalism of border enforcement teams.
“FRCS remains unwavering in its duty to protect Fiji’s borders and uphold the integrity of our customs operations,” Mr Singh said.
“We urge all travellers to comply with Fiji’s laws and respect the regulations in place to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our communities.”
FRCS continues to emphasise its role in safeguarding Fiji’s borders, ensuring the safety of all travellers, and protecting the wellbeing of the Fijian public.
FRCS reminded all visitors and members of the public that the possession and trafficking of illicit substances are criminal offences that attract severe penalties.
The ship, which has a guest capacity of 1878, also called into Suva last month on August 9.
The Norwegian Sun has a 77,104 gross register tonnage with 906 ship crew onboard, and it operated by the Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL).
Just last year, another of NCL’s cruise ship Norwegian Joy had two of its passengers arrested for drugs.
A report published by USA Today highlighted that the two cruise passengers had brought more than 100 bags of marijuana on board.
