Aiyaz Mohammed Musa Umarji, a prominent Fijian businessman and sports official, has been deported back to Fiji after serving time in New Zealand for drug smuggling.
Umarji, who pleaded guilty to importing $5 million worth of pseudoephedrine used to manufacture meth, was sentenced to four years in prison in August 2023. After a successful appeal, his sentence was reduced by six months, and he was released after the Parole Board concluded that he was unlikely to re-engage in criminal activities upon his return to Fiji.
The Board acknowledged that his actions were driven by greed and not tied to a larger criminal syndicate.
Umarji, once a key figure in Fiji’s pharmaceutical industry and a sports leader in football, had been running an operation that used his Pacific-wide network to import pseudoephedrine through New Zealand.
His smuggling scheme was exposed during a larger police investigation known as Operation Duet.
Despite fleeing to India when extradition was requested, Umarji eventually surrendered to New Zealand authorities in 2022.
The Board acknowledged that his actions were driven by greed and not tied to a larger criminal syndicate?? Riiiight
(Psst) check “the Board’s” bank statements 😉👍