Six Indian Nationals Charged in Fiji Over FJD183,000 Undeclared Cash and Money Laundering

Six Indian nationals have been charged in Fiji with money laundering and failing to declare foreign currency after authorities intercepted them while they were preparing to leave the country with cash worth approximately FJD183,000.

The six were stopped by Fiji Revenue and Customs Service officers on 12 July 2026. Authorities said they were carrying various foreign currencies that had not been declared at the border. Detention notices were issued and the matter was referred to Fiji Police for further investigation.

According to accounts of the police investigation published by local media, the group had travelled to Fiji to sell goods at a trade show and said the cash represented proceeds from those sales. Fiji Police’s Anti-Money Laundering and Proceeds of Crime Unit subsequently investigated the funds and alleges that they were derived from unlawful activity.

Each accused faces one count of Currency Reporting at the Border under section 32(1) of Fiji’s Financial Transactions Reporting Act 2004 and one count of money laundering under section 69 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 1997. Twelve charges have been filed in total.

The six appeared before the Nadi Magistrates Court on 17 September and were granted bail. The charges remain allegations and the defendants have not been convicted of the offences.

The case combines two distinct financial-crime issues: compliance with Fiji’s cross-border currency reporting requirements and the separate allegation that the cash represented proceeds of unlawful activity. The proceedings will determine whether prosecutors can establish the alleged criminal origin of the funds and the money-laundering offences.