On Friday, police conducted a raid on the vessel at Vatia Wharf, located in the rural town of Tavua in Fiji’s northwest, where they reportedly confiscated 130 sacks of cocaine.

During the operation, two local Fijian men and four South American nationals were taken into custody. The seized drugs are believed to have a street value exceeding $2 billion if they had reached Australian shores.

Investigators suspect that the illicit cargo originated from South America, highlighting the far-reaching scope of this international drug trafficking operation.

Police believe the drugs – with an estimated street value of over $2billion – arrived in the vessel which had travelled from South America.

Four of the men arrested were from Ecuador, according to local Fijian media.

Australian police sources confirmed they were aware of the seizure, which they believed was bound for Australia, with some of the cocaine also destined for New Zealand.

Fijian authorities released photos over the weekend of four men handcuffed together and sitting by the side of a road.

The Australian Federal Police said in a statement they were aware of the drug bust and were working with Fijian Police.

Fijian authorities released photos over the weekend of four men handcuffed together and sitting by the side of a road

Authorities board a similar narco sub in 2023

‘The AFP, through its international network, will continue to work closely with our Pacific partners to combat criminal activity, including drug trafficking,’ the statement read.

‘The AFP is engaging with the Fiji Police Force regarding this investigation.’

Fiji Police released a statement after Friday’s arrests confirming that overseas police forces had been involved in the bust.

‘Four South American nationals and two locals were arrested in an early morning drug raid in Vatia waters,’ Fiji Police said.

‘The Commissioner of Police Rusiate Tudravu said more than 100 bags containing parcels believed to be cocaine were seized by officers from the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), Serious Organised Crime and Intelligence Department (SOCID) and Western Division Taskforce.

‘Commissioner Tudravu said the raid was a result of collaboration between local and foreign law enforcement. Investigations continue.’

According to international authorities, Asian, Mexican and South American cartels have been increasingly using the Pacific as a gateway into Australia in recent years.

Cartels have invested heavily in narco subs as their latest innovation in their increasingly sophisticated battle with police in recent years. 

Police board and seize drugs from a narco sub in the Atlantic Ocean

The sleek submarines, each painted cobalt blue to match the ocean and make them very difficult to spot, cut through choppy waters at remarkable rates.

Each sub is built to maximise cargo, typically accommodating up to three crew who may be trapped inside the cramped vessel for weeks. 

Powered by twin electric engines, the stealthy boats can glide undetected under the waves, carrying up to six tonnes of drugs. 

Authorities estimate that each vessel costs around $1million USD to make.

They aren’t armed, relying instead on camouflage to evade detection by authorities whose resources are already stretched thin.

The submarines are constructed deep in the jungles of South America, where cartel activities go largely unseen.

The first narco sub was spotted in European waters in 2019, revealing just how far ahead trafficking gangs are in the cat-and-mouse game that the war on drugs has become.