Fiji’s police force is seeking to bring Australian citizen Sam Amine to trial for his alleged involvement in a significant international drug trafficking operation.
An investigation by Foreign Correspondent into Fiji’s largest methamphetamine seizure has uncovered Amine’s purported connections to organized crime networks in both Sydney and Fiji. Law enforcement agencies in both nations are now pursuing assets worth millions, believed to be derived from criminal activities linked to Amine.
Sam Amine, a 49-year-old resident of Sydney, is accused of orchestrating the importation of over four tonnes of methamphetamine, marking the largest drug seizure in Fiji’s history. A High Court judge in Fiji labeled him a “drug kingpin” last year during a sentencing hearing for nine Fijians, who received the harshest penalties ever imposed for drug-related offenses; however, Amine has not yet been formally charged.
According to Fiji Police Assistant Commissioner Mesake Waqa, authorities have already apprehended local criminal syndicates involved in the case. “We will continue our efforts until we can charge those responsible, including international crime syndicates. It is my hope that Sam Amine will be tried here in Fiji,” he stated.
The substantial drug shipment confiscated in January 2024 was confirmed to have been supplied by the Sinaloa cartel, based in Mexico, and was intended for the lucrative markets in Australia and New Zealand. Evidence presented in court suggested that Amine had facilitated the entry of the drugs into Fiji, where they were stored at his warehouse in Denarau, a popular tourist destination, for several days before being distributed.
Senior officials from Australian law enforcement indicated that Amine is regarded as a significant target in the region, serving as a conduit for large-scale drug imports from the Pacific to Australia. Assistant Commissioner Waqa noted that some of the methamphetamine was sent to Australia via commercial flights prior to the larger shipment’s interception by police.
Amine has reportedly owned real estate and operated a gym in Denarau for nearly a decade, and authorities suspect he has been financially supporting local criminal organizations. His properties are currently under restraining orders, and a forfeiture application has been filed in the Fiji High Court, which has received evidence indicating that they were acquired with proceeds from drug trafficking.
Before the drug seizure occurred, Amine had left Fiji. Just four months later, he was apprehended in Sydney for supplying a significant quantity of drugs and a firearm to an undercover officer. He has since pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing, scheduled for July.
NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Scott Cook highlighted the proactive nature of their investigations, stating, “We focus on established criminals and those involved in serious drug supply and distribution. If it benefits us to arrest suspects in other nations, we will do so, and we will assist foreign authorities in achieving their objectives within the bounds of Australian law.”
Amine chose not to respond to inquiries from the ABC, with his lawyer attributing the silence to the ongoing legal proceedings. In a statement, his defense attorney Daniel Wakim asserted, “My client’s silence should not be interpreted as an admission of any criminal wrongdoing or associations.”
The pursuit of Amine by law enforcement in both Fiji and Australia highlights the existence of sophisticated transnational criminal networks facilitating substantial drug trafficking across borders. The NSW Police informed the Supreme Court during a bail hearing in September 2024 that Amine is associated with two of Sydney’s most notorious criminal groups: the Alameddine network and the KVT.
The Alameddine network is characterized as a serious organized crime group involved in large-scale drug importation, while the KVT is a street gang predominantly comprising young Pacific Islander men, many of whom are Fijian, and is linked to serious criminal activities.
“They are engaged in drug importation, distribution, and sales, which is quite serious,” remarked Assistant Commissioner Cook, noting that law enforcement has intensified efforts against the KVT due to their involvement in such activities.
Fiji Police have indicated that Amine’s association with the KVT is a key factor in their interest in him. “Sam Amine has consistently been a person of interest regarding drug activities in Fiji due to his connections with the KVT and his assets linked to local crime syndicates,” stated Assistant Commissioner Waqa.
Authorities in both Australia and Fiji have had Amine on their radar since at least 2019, when he and another Australian national were placed under surveillance following a request from the Australian Federal Police (AFP). Court documents revealed that the AFP had intelligence suggesting the men were in possession of a suspiciously large sum of money.
After arriving in Fiji, Amine and his counterpart were observed covertly meeting two foreign nationals at a café in Suva. In subsequent incidents, each man faced drug-related charges. One individual, Canadian Joshua Rahman, was arrested during a police raid five days later, where authorities seized 39 bars of cocaine valued at approximately 30 million Fijian dollars (about $19.2 million) from a residence he shared with his father. Rahman later successfully appealed his conviction.
