Tongan among five latest remanded over Fiji's record cocaine seizure, police confirm

Five people appeared in Ba Magistrates Court in Fiji on Monday charged with conspiracy to import 2.644 tonnes of cocaine following a major seizure in Vatia waters, Tavua, on 15 January.

Among the latest accused is a 49-year-old Tongan man holding a New Zealand passport, along with a 33-year-old unemployed woman, a 40-year-old boat captain, and two self-employed men aged 34 and 39 from Suva.

They are scheduled to appear again in the High Court in Ba on 5 February.

Watch five people charged with drug-related offences appear in a Fiji court below.

Court documents name the five as Ponipate Seuvou Mateyawa, John Taotala, Iliesa Cokanasiga, Merewalesi Qolimaiwasa, and Jonathan Pedro Hill.

Four of them face additional charges of possessing property suspected to be proceeds of crime under Fiji’s Proceeds of Crime Act 1997.

“I’m sorry Mama and Jhaday. I ❤️ U,” Hill, the son-in-law of MP Lenora Qereqeretabua, held in a note to the media before entering the courtroom, according to The Fiji Times.

Police have seizzed 2.644 tonnes of cocaine off Vatia Island near Tavua in Fiji. Photo/Fiji Police

Qereqeretabua, who is the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, has confirmed that police searched her family home in Samabula last week as part of an investigation involving her son-in-law.

In a statement, Qereqeretabua said the family cooperated fully with police and stressed that nothing was found during the search. “Nothing was found at our home, and my understanding is that no one else in our household is a person of interest in this investigation."

She said the experience was deeply unsettling for her family but thanked those who had offered messages of support, adding that she had been advised not to comment further.

While police have not revealed where the drugs were headed, they allege that between 1 November 2025 and 17 January 2026, the five conspired with others to “unlawfully import, transport, transfer, and store” the cocaine.

Seized items linked to the operation include cash and logistical equipment:

• Iliesa Cokanasiga: FJ$6000 (NZ$4474) in Nadi on 12 January

• Jonathan Hill: $FJ$1000 (NZ$746) in Nadi on 17 January

• John Taotala: $FJ$500 (NZ$373) in Nadi on 17 January.

Jonathan Hill outside Ba court. Photo/The Fiji Times

Taotala and Qolimaiwasa are also jointly charged with possession of other items suspected to be proceeds of crime, including a generator, a raincoat, an extension wire, and 102 litres of fuel.

The five join six others - four Ecuadorian nationals and two Fijians, including one with an Australian passport, who were earlier charged and remanded in connection with the same seizure, valued at around FJ$1.2 billion (NZ$890 million).

The cocaine was discovered after a joint raid by Fiji Police and the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The operation intercepted a semi-submersible vessel and a vehicle carrying the drugs.

Acting Prime Minister and Minister for Lands and Mineral Resources, Filimoni Vosarogo, says the operation sends a strong message to traffickers.

Five people, including a Tongan national, appeared in Ba Magistrates Court on Monday 26 January 2026 charged with conspiracy to import 2.644 tonnes of cocaine following the Vatia seizure. Photo/Facebook/Fiji government

“The recent drug bust in Tavua is a significant operation by the Fiji Police Force and counterpart agencies, here and abroad,” Vosarogo told media. “It demonstrates their heightened vigilance and commitment to protecting our sovereignty.

"The arrest of foreign nationals sends a strong and unequivocal message to international drug syndicates: Fiji is not an easy target. Our borders are being strengthened, our laws are being enforced, and those who attempt to use our country for criminal gain will be detected, arrested, and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

Watch six suspects - four foreign nationals and two Fijians arrive at Rakiraki Court in Fiji last week, charged in connection with the cocaine seizure in Tavua on 15 January below.

Vosarogo called for a whole-of-society approach, including stronger border controls, better inter-agency co-operation, and support for community-based prevention and awareness initiatives.

Investigations are ongoing, and authorities have indicated further arrests may follow as they trace the networks behind the massive shipment.