FIJI: Fijian and Australian police yesterday made the biggest methamphetamine drug bust in the southern hemisphere ever when they raided a warehouse in the capital, Suva, that contained enough chemicals to make a tonne of the drug.
Police said they had broken up an Asian-run gang that had planned to ship the crystal methamphetamine, known as "ice", with a street value of $560 million, to Australia, New Zealand, Europe and the United States.
Fiji's Police Commissioner, Andrew Hughes, told reporters seven people had been arrested.
"We have spoken to New Zealand police who have put this as the largest chemical lab discovered and disrupted in the southern hemisphere," Hughes said.
A 14-month-long joint investigation called "Operation Outrigger" led to the raid on the warehouse in Suva.
Police found five kg (11 lb) of manufactured methamphetamine and enough chemicals to make 1,000 kg (2,205 lb) of the drug.
"We have been aware for some time of the ongoing potential for countries in the South Pacific to be exploited by drug traffickers," Australian Federal Police agent Peter Drennan said.