Fiji, Australia intercept $3m illicit drug

Fijian and Australian authorities have jointly intercepted a consignment of methamphetamine with a street value of around 3 million U.S. dollars, the government- owned Fiji Broadcasting Corporation confirmed Friday.

The consignment was initially intercepted at the Los Angeles Airport last week on its way from the United States to Fiji after custom officials were suspicious of the country of origin on the packaging label. Twenty packages were then found in the consignment containing a pressure cooker and further testing confirmed contents to be methamphetamine weighing over 21 kilograms.

Fijian and Australian police then allowed for the consignment to be sent through to Fiji to determine the recipient in the Pacific island country, said the broadcaster, adding that it was received by two men aged 31 and 35 years after its arrival.

It was the second large seizure of illicit drug made with the latest joint cooperation of the Fiji Police Force and the Australian Federal Police, as well as the Fiji Revenue and Customs Authority.

On Monday, an Australian and a Fijian were arrested near Fiji's Lautoka city after Fijian and Australian law enforcers found nearly 50-kilogram cocaine with a street value of around 7 million U.S. dollars in the vehicle they were traveling in.