A cocaine haul worth up to $15 million has disappeared from a Fiji court whilst being held as evidence in a high-profile drug trafficking case. The extraordinary disappearance was discovered when authorities moved to destroy the exhibits following the conclusion of the appeal process; forensic tests subsequently revealed that the remaining cocaine had been tampered with and 32 kilograms replaced with flour. The incident raises serious questions about security and integrity at the Suva High Court, with a person of interest allegedly involved currently overseas.

The cocaine—originally 39 bars totalling 39 kilograms—was evidence in the case against Fiji-Canadian national Joshua Aziz Rahman, convicted of drug trafficking in 2021 and sentenced to 23 years imprisonment. Rahman was released in February 2026 following a successful appeal but was re-jailed after prosecutors challenged the ruling. The Fiji Justice Minister has vowed a thorough investigation, stating that anyone found guilty will be held accountable, whilst opposition politicians have expressed serious concerns about the reliability of all evidence stored at the High Court Registry. This incident compounds existing scrutiny of alleged corruption within Fiji's police force, which led to the disbandment of the Counter Narcotics Bureau last year.