Undeclared alcohol amounting to $6500 in duty liability and compounding penalties were seized from a foreign-flagged vessel in Savusavu.
A media release issued by the Fiji Revenue & Customs Service stated 234 bottles of 200ml rum, three bottles of 750ml rum, and one bottle of 1-litre liquor was confiscated during inspection.
The seizure was part of a joint operation vessel monitoring assessment that included FRCS which inspected the ship through a joint boarding team.
Following the seizure, the vessel’s master was apprehended and charged under Section 137(a) of the Customs Act 1986 for the offence.
The seized goods were handed over to FRCS for detention.
FRCS chief executive officer Udit Singh praised the collaborative effort of the agencies involved, emphasising the importance of such operations in safeguarding national revenue and public services.
“Alcohol is subject to excise duty on import to Fiji, and smuggling undermines revenue that supports essential public services like schools, hospitals, and infrastructure,” Mr Singh said.
“We wish to remind operators of foreign vessels to understand and comply with the entry requirements of Fiji. FRCS will have zero tolerance for illegal activities detected at the Fijian borders.”
The operation followed a two-week Seaport Border Management Vessel Search Training in Savusavu, the third iteration of its kind.
The training included sessions for 35 participants from maritime border security agencies and community awareness efforts in 15 villages, supported by the Ministry of i-Taukei Affairs.
It is funded by the Government of Japan and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in collaboration with FRCS and other agencies.
The success of the operation underscored the effectiveness of leveraging the combined strengths of partner agencies to enhance maritime security.
The joint inspection team included representatives from FRCS, RFN, the Fiji Dog Detector Unit, the Fiji Police Force, the Fiji Immigration Department, the Ministry of Fisheries, the Biosecurity Authority of Fiji, the Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji, and the Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MOH).
