SUVA, July 20 (Xinhua) -- The Fijian Police is working with the Fiji Navy and relevant overseas and local stakeholders after cocaine packets were recently discovered on the shores of Fiji's eastern islands and on Taveuni Island, which is Fiji's third largest island.
According to Fijivillage news website on Friday, Acting Fijian Commissioner of Police Itendra Nair had asked people to refrain from opening the packages as it may contain cocaine in its pure form that can be extremely harmful to humans.
Nair said the discovery of nine parcels containing white substances believed to be cocaine indicated there was a possibility of more being washed ashore in Fiji.
He confirmed that the packaging of the discoveries were similar to findings made in the South Pacific Island nation of Tonga last month.
While Fijian Police await the analysis to be conducted on the recent finding from Taveuni and in the eastern islands, they are working closely with the Fiji Navy and relevant stakeholders both locally and internationally as it was highly likely that the drugs were being transited through the Pacific and not intended for Tonga and Fiji Islands, he said.
Nair said the cocaine found in Tonga and the earlier discovery in the eastern islands of Fiji were tested and found to be the same type of cocaine which was in its pure state and packages were similar.
About 31 bars of cocaine with an estimated value of 31 million Fijian dollars (14.7 million U.S. dollars) were seized by Fijian Police and Fiji Revenue Customs Service earlier this month on an island in the eastern part of Fiji.
The Matangi Tonga, Tonga's leading news website, reported earlier that police in Tonga had seized 58 kg of cocaine worth around 13 million U.S. dollars amid growing international concern that the Pacific region was becoming a transit point for drugs.
