'Tesla' cocaine bricks wash up on Fiji beach

Residents of Fiji's secluded Komo Island, accustomed to a peaceful life, have stumbled upon a dark underworld after discovering bricks of cocaine washed ashore. The remote islands, a three-day sail from the capital Suva, are usually described as a postcard-perfect paradise.

Sevuloni Tagimoce, a local, found one of the bricks and initially did not recognize it. "When I first saw it, I didn't immediately think of drugs," he told ABC. He brought the 1-kilogram package to the village headman, who confirmed it was cocaine. Since then, 27 similar bricks marked 'Tesla' have been found on and around Komo Island, with an estimated value exceeding $15 million depending on purity.

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When I first saw it, I didn't immediately think of drugs. It was lying on the beach, on the sand, at the high water mark. I knew I had to bring it back to the village headman. I needed for him to see it. When I brought it back, he weighed it, and it was exactly one kilogram.

Fiji Police confirmed that another 35 bricks were discovered on nearby Munia Island. This discovery underscores Fiji's position as a critical transit point for drug cartels attempting to smuggle cocaine and meth into the lucrative Australian market. Recent investigations have linked Fijian individuals to organized crime networks involved in this trade.

In January, Fijian authorities seized 2.6 tonnes of cocaine, valued at $780 million, during a raid. The 'Tesla' bricks found on Komo Island were reportedly attached to flotation devices, a method used by smugglers to transfer smaller drug quantities from larger vessels. Locals have noted an increase in suspicious yacht activity in the area, leading them to associate yachts with drug smuggling.

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As soon as we wake up, there's one yacht going up, another one coming down, another coming from the side. When we go to fish in the uninhabited islands, we see suspicious yachts in the area too. Now, when we see yachts, we assume it's drugs.