Nearly 40kg (88lb) of cocaine being held as evidence in a major Fiji drug case has gone missing, police confirmed on Tuesday.

The drug haul was being stored as evidence at the Suva High Court Registry, in the capital of the Pacific island nation, during the long-running trial of Fiji-Canadian national Joshua Aziz Rahman as he appealed against his 2021 conviction and sentence.

Police first began investigating a theft on September 15 after seven out of 39 cocaine bars were discovered missing.

Forensic testing on the remaining 32 bars has since confirmed the remaining exhibits were tampered with and were replaced with flour, according to Fiji Village.

This means about 39.5kg of cocaine, valued at about $31 million Fiji dollars (£10.4 million), is unaccounted for, local media added.

On Tuesday afternoon, Fiji Police issued a statement confirming “forensic tests” of the drugs had come back negative for illicit drugs.

“The exhibits were all tampered with, and the investigation is focused on those directly charged with the management of the exhibits at the High Court Registry,” the statement said.

“A person of interest allegedly involved in the incident is currently overseas and will be questioned.”

Justice Minister Siromi Turaga said those responsible for the theft would face the full force of the law.

“It’s shocking … no one will be spared,” he told news outlet Fiji One. The punishment for this type of offence was not immediately clear.

Fiji police said cases involving drugs such as methamphetamine and cocaine have surged since 2018.

In 2024, the United Nations said Fiji had emerged as a regional hub for drug trafficking in the Pacific.

The number of drug arrests, mainly linked to methamphetamine, more than tripled in 2023, it added in a report.