ISLANDERS on Ogea in Fiji’s Eastern Division have reported finding packets of what is believed to be cocaine on a remote beach.
Two unidentified islanders posted on social media that they found at least two packages, each weighing around one kilogramme on Ogea Driki, about 300 kilometres from the capital, Suva.
It is believed a total of 25 packages have since been retrieved on the island.
Two days earlier, an interisland ferry reported sighting packages suspected to be cocaine near Ogea while reporting similar sightings near Moala, Kabara and Moce.
Police have told local media that they are investigating the discovery of suspected illicit drugs in sealed containers found floating near Ogea on Friday night.
Remote Lau islands have been used since the late 1980s as drop-off points for foreign drug traffickers. However, there has been increased activity around the islands since late 2025.
Fijian authorities suspect that drug cartels have started to use a route from the West Coast of the Americas to Australia’s Eastern Seaboard, transiting remote islands in Fiji and Tonga.
Islanders have reported sighting suspected drug packages lashed together by rope and linked to transmitters. These are believed to have been dumped at sea to be picked up and moved, possibly by a network of yachts.
Fiji’s inter-island ferry companies have also noted an increase in yacht traffic in the remote islands.
Reports show that many of these vessels have switched off their AIS (Automated Identification System) which allows them to be tracked by maritime authorities.
