SHOCKWAVES were sent across the country when the first coup was carried out in 1987 by the military.
But what was equally shocking one-year later was the discovery of arms and ammunitions that had been illegally shipped into the country for reasons yet to be known.
Customs officers in Australia had intercepted a 12-tonne container filled with illegal arms that was destined for Fiji.
Following the discovery, Australian police informed their Fijian counterparts that a container with arms and ammunition could have already reached Fiji sometime in April 1988.
The discovery in Australia and information that illegal arms could have already arrived in Fiji sparked a major police investigation which started from Lautoka, where the container had arrived.
During the course of investigations, police recovered most of the illegal arms and ammunition and also arrested some people for their alleged involvement in the shipment.
Last week, we brought to you an exclusive interview with a retired police officer who co-ordinated the recovery of weapons from different places in the Western Division.
As part two of the illegal weapons series, The Fiji Times gives you a flashback into the case today and also speaks to some former police officers who were involved in the raids then.
IT was late May 1988 when a cache of submachine guns, automatic rifles, hand grenades, mortars and anti-tank mines were seized by Customs officers in Australia.
After discovering irregularities in paperwork, the Customs officers decided to investigate the contents of a crate inside the container.
They discovered the cache of weapons and also said that the find could have “started a small war in Fiji”, as reported in the front page of The Fiji Times on June 1, 1988.
It was also reported that the container, containing six crates, was unloaded at Port Botany in Sydney’s south and trucked to Darling Harbour where it was waiting to be loaded on to a ship which made regular visits to Fiji then.
Furthermore, it was reported the exporting ship began its voyage from the port of Hodeidah in North Yemen and travelled through Sri Lanka and Singapore before arriving in Sydney.
Australian police informed their Fijian counterparts about the discovery and that a container filled with arms and ammunition had already arrived in Fiji.
On June 2, 1988, we reported that police investigations into the Fiji-bound illegal arms seizure in Sydney were concentrated in the Western Division.
A team of detectives from the Criminal Investigations Department headquarters in Suva was sent to assist their colleagues in the West in investigating the case and recovering the weapons.
Ponipate Lesavua, who was a detective sergeant then, went to Lautoka with some police officers and started investigations from the wharf.
Mr Lesavua said they found out that the container had been cleared by a chief from Rewa and taken to Ba, from where it was later moved to Lautoka.
“The shipping documents for the container stated that it had used machinery and the sender was one Ralph Khan (Mohammed Rafiq Khan),” he said.
He said police learnt that Mr Khan was booked at a hotel in Nadi but when officers checked, he had left the hotel and the country too.
The police team found the container at a man’s compound along Tavakubu Rd in Lautoka, close to the former Governor General’s bure.
After carrying out investigations, the house owner was taken in by police for questioning and after about seven hours of interviewing, the man confessed and told police where the weapons were.
It resulted in police carrying out raids in Lautoka, Nadi, Ba and Tavua, from where arms and ammunition were recovered and some people arrested.
Tevita Colati, who works for the United Nations now, was a young detective based in Nadi and was also a part of the investigation team tasked to carry out raids on suspected premises to search for the weapons.
Mr Colati said they raided a place at Momi in Nadi and recovered arms and ammunitions packed in drums.
He said there were semi-automatic and automatic guns, assault rifles, pistols, boots, steel helmets, military tactical clothing and other military combat accessories in a room painted black.
“The room was full packed, touching the roof and the door when the room was opened,” said Mr Colati.
Mr Lesavua said it was the first time for him and some other officers to see such weapons when they raided the house in Momi.
He said they also carried out a raid on the Sabeto hills and recovered some weapons that were hidden inside a cave.
“We were aware that the weapons had come in a 15-tonne container but during our raids at various places in the West, we recovered only 12 tonnes,” he said.
“The arms and ammunition were put in the back yard of Lautoka Police Station and we arranged with the military to help us identify the weapons.
“The late Savenaca Draunidalo who was in-charge at the military camp in Lautoka then came and assisted us. He identified the AK47 rifles and said it was the first time for such weapons to be in Fiji.
“It was made in Czechoslovakia and most of the things that we recovered were also from there.”
Mr Lesavua said military officers were based at the wharves after the May 14, 1987 coup to check and clear things for security reasons.
“But during our investigations, we learnt that this container had not been checked by the military officer because the receiver was a chief and the shipping documents said the container had used machinery.
“He trusted and respected the chief so he didn’t check the container before it was cleared from the wharf.
“We arrested 11 people during the raids and they told us that they were just told to keep the weapons and ammunition and someone would pick it from them.”
On June 7, 1988, we reported that a wide range of arms and ammunition had been seized during raids in the Western Division and 25 people were questioned in connection with the illegal shipment.
The then police spokesman Senior Inspector Romanu Tikotikoca told this newspaper then that all the arms and ammunition were found in homes, farms or bulk sheds.
Mr Tikotikoca had said that the security forces had not been able to accurately quantify the amount of arms and ammunition that arrived in Fiji on April 11 (1988).
It was also reported that a Fijian man charged with conspiring to import arms into Fiji was refused bail by a court in Sydney.
Some members of the deposed Bavadra Government were also taken in for questioning by police in connection with the arms find but they were later released.
On June 8, 1988, we reported on the front page that 21 men had been charged for their alleged involvement in the illegal shipment of arms and ammunition to Fiji in April that year.
It was reported that among those charged were a chief from Rewa, Ratu Mosese Tuisawau and Lautoka lawyer, Haroon Shah.
Ratu Mosese was charged with conspiring with two others between March 30 and April 16 to illegally import arms and ammunition into Fiji.
Mr Shah faced a charge of failing to prevent another person from committing an offence and another charge of concealment.
The 21 men were remanded in custody by the Lautoka Magistrates Court as police and the military continued with their investigations into the arms find.
On June 19, we reported that Mr Shah had been released on bail by the High Court in Lautoka and the judge who heard his bail application criticised the handling of the case by the magistrate.
* NEXT WEEK: The sender of the arms.
