Police claimed they smashed the biggest methamphetamine lab ever uncovered in the Southern Hemisphere after raiding a factory Tuesday in Fiji's capital and seizing drugs and enough chemicals to make US$540 million worth of the party drug "ice."
The raids on three warehouses on Suva's outskirts underscored recent warnings by Australia and New Zealand that South Pacific islands could become havens for international organized crime if they don't boost policing, end corruption and bolster their economies.
The illegal drugs were headed for markets in Australia, New Zealand, US and Europe, Fiji police commissioner Andrew Hughes said.
Seven people, including four Asians and three Fijians, were arrested and being questioned by police, Hughes said. They may appear in court Thursday, he said. Their identities and the nationalities of the non-Fijians were not disclosed.
Fiji's parliament is debating tougher drug laws that would increase sentences for serious drug offenses from a maximum of 20 years to life in prison, and increase fines that can be imposed to up to F$1 million (US$540,000).
Hughes said the laboratory, on an industrial estate, was set up to produce the party drug methamphetamine, known as "ice," in what he called the largest such laboratory ever found in the hemisphere.
Dozens of officers involved in the raids wore special chemical resistant overalls as they searched the buildings.
"This is a frightening example of transnational organized crime elements using Fiji as a staging ground for their illegal activities," Hughes told reporters. "Increasingly we are seeing these elements coming to Fiji and joining up with local organized criminal groups."
Some 46 police and customs officers found drugs "bubbling away" in a complex Hughes said was stacked with drums of chemicals and equipment.
An initial assessment of the chemicals found in the warehouses estimated there was enough to produce 1,000kg of crystal methamphetamine, he said.
The estimated value of the seizure -- F$1 billion (US$540 million) -- equated to the small amount of methamphetamine that police discovered plus the amount that could have been produced with the chemicals found during the raid.
Hughes said the laboratory had the capacity to produce 500kg of the drug each week.
The drug-producing operation was detected by a joint Fiji customs and police transnational crime unit established 14 months ago. They waited until Wednesday to raid the operation because it only just started producing the drugs, Hughes said.
A new online voting system aimed at boosting turnout among the Philippines’ millions of overseas workers ahead of Monday’s mid-term elections has been marked by confusion and fears of disenfranchisement. Thousands of overseas Filipino workers have already cast their ballots in the race dominated by a bitter feud between President Ferdinand Marcos Jr and his impeached vice president, Sara Duterte. While official turnout figures are not yet publicly available, data from the Philippine Commission on Elections (COMELEC) showed that at least 134,000 of the 1.22 million registered overseas voters have signed up for the new online system, which opened on April 13. However,
ALLIES: Calling Putin his ‘old friend,’ Xi said Beijing stood alongside Russia ‘in the face of the international counter-current of unilateralism and hegemonic bullying’ Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) yesterday was in Moscow for a state visit ahead of the Kremlin’s grand Victory Day celebrations, as Ukraine accused Russia’s army of launching air strikes just hours into a supposed truce. More than 20 foreign leaders were in Russia to attend a vast military parade today marking 80 years since the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II, taking place three years into Russia’s offensive in Ukraine. Putin ordered troops into Ukraine in February 2022 and has marshaled the memory of Soviet victory against Nazi Germany to justify his campaign and rally society behind the offensive,
ENTERTAINMENT: Rio officials have a history of organizing massive concerts on Copacabana Beach, with Madonna’s show drawing about 1.6 million fans last year Lady Gaga on Saturday night gave a free concert in front of 2 million fans who poured onto Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro for the biggest show of her career. “Tonight, we’re making history... Thank you for making history with me,” Lady Gaga told a screaming crowd. The Mother Monster, as she is known, started the show at about 10:10pm local time with her 2011 song Bloody Mary. Cries of joy rose from the tightly packed fans who sang and danced shoulder-to-shoulder on the vast stretch of sand. Concert organizers said 2.1 million people attended the show. Lady Gaga
CONFLICTING REPORTS: Beijing said it was ‘not familiar with the matter’ when asked if Chinese jets were used in the conflict, after Pakistan’s foreign minister said they were The Pakistan Army yesterday said it shot down 25 Indian drones, a day after the worst violence between the nuclear-armed rivals in two decades. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif vowed to retaliate after India launched deadly missile strikes on Wednesday morning, escalating days of gunfire along their border. At least 45 deaths were reported from both sides following Wednesday’s violence, including children. Pakistan’s military said in a statement yesterday that it had “so far shot down 25 Israeli-made Harop drones” at multiple location across the country. “Last night, India showed another act of aggression by sending drones to multiple locations,” Pakistan military spokesman Ahmed
RSS