No authorisation was given to former Counter Narcotics Bureau officers Uraia Bolalailai and Apenisa Matadigo to be part of a controlled delivery of more than five kilograms of methamphetamine in Nadi in May last year.
The pair, who face illegal importation of illicit drug charges, was part of a Nadi border police operation where investigators monitored the movement of the methamphetamine crystals from a post office consignment to an alleged local drug dealer.
The operation was activated based on intelligence collected by the two officers resulting in the controlled delivery – an operation where officers switch the illicit drugs with fake crystals and allow the package to be picked up from the pick-up point by the receiver.
However, during their trial in the High Court in Lautoka yesterday, former Counter Narcotics Bureau head Inspector Jemesa Lave said the two men were not approved to be part of the operation.
Insp Lave said he had received information on May 13, 2025, from the men’s unit manager that a large amount of meth was hidden in a consignment of machine spare parts at the Nadi Airport.
He said he did not receive any other information or form of verification from the unit manager until May 16 when he was informed that a controlled delivery would be carried out.
Insp Lave explained that after informing fellow bureau head ASP Jaoji Besetimoala of the operation, he was told to let the Nadi border police and customs officers handle the delivery. He said Mr Bolalailai and Mr Matadigo’s unit manager was then informed to hand over the controlled delivery to the Nadi border police.
“ASP Jaoji and I did not give any authorisation for them to do the controlled delivery,” he said. Insp Lave added that on further consultation with detectives, he found out the information he received on May 13 was incorrect.
“I was told the drugs was coming in with machine spare parts but later that week, on Sunday after I spoke with detectives, I was told it came in a consignment of coffee beans. So, the information I received was not correct.”
The duo are on trial alongside Nigerian national Chukwemeka Phabian. The trial will resume on Monday next week.
