INSIDE THE $1 BILLION DRUG FACTORY

When police threw open the mustard-coloured corrugated-iron doors to a drug
factory in Suva they were confronted by scores of 200-litre drums of
solvents and chemicals.

Thanks to a long-planned, carefully operated sting involving Fijian, New
Zealand and Australian police officers and Fijian customs officers, they
already knew what they would find and wore chemical suits with respirators
to filter out the pungent smell and bad air.

The factory, an innocuous concrete building tucked away down a long
driveway amid other factories in suburban Suva, was manufacturing
methamphetamines worth F$1 billion ($875 million) and the drugs were
probably destined for New Zealand and Australia.

An extractor fan had been set up to remove dangerous fumes as the Asian
gang, six of whom are now in custody, mixed chemicals in a large agitator
that resembles a sled and moves back and forth to get the ingredients to
just the right mix.

There is a large area with refrigerators and another area of more chemicals
in open containers. Police believe the contents are so flammable and toxic
that they will not allow photographers near the building for fear a flash
could ignite the chemicals, which they would not identify. Cellphones, too,
could generate a spark and are not allowed.

Locals in Suva are still reeling from the find in their backyard and
yesterday's court appearance by the Asians attracted a full media turnout.

The six accused Hong Kong Chinese nationals, including a husband and wife,
squirmed away from cameras and the sole woman, Yuen Yei, also known as
Diane Zhong, covered her face but it was plain she was crying.

Her husband, Jason Zhong, tried to cover his face with his jacket as the
six stood in a row facing magistrate Salesi Temo, who remanded them in
custody without plea to the High Court on June 25.

They are charged with manufacturing methamphetamine and police say further
charges may be laid.

The Zhongs are represented by one of Fiji's top defence lawyers, Mehboob
Raza. He argued that the taking of photographs of the prisoners in the dock
was contempt of court and should be banned.

But Mr Temo banned the publishing of photos only within Fiji, saying what
was published abroad was out of his jurisdiction. Photographers not allowed
into the courtroom crowded around open windows snapping away.

Although police and Customs in Fiji are saying little about how the sting
unfolded, details are beginning to emerge. Not in court was a Fijian
suspect who is believed to have established contact with the other suspects
via a Mastercard fraud.

Police spokesman Mesake Koroi said another man in Hong Kong who had been
arrested was believed to be the main financial backer of the operation, and
had travelled between Hong Kong and Fiji and had also visited New Zealand.
He had set up a company in Suva.

It is not confirmed if the premises raided were being used to make the
drugs, but the owners of a timber yard bordering the factory told the
Weekend Herald they had been told by the factory's owner that his tenants
had told him it was to be a plastics business, making plastic chairs and
furniture.

"But we haven't seen any of those items from there. We tried to talk to
them a few times but it seems they don't understand English," said one.

They were not friendly and the neighbours began to get suspicious because
no customers visited the factory, he said.

Although a Fijian officer said the premises had been under surveillance
from neighbouring properties, the timber factory owners said they had not
seen any police until the raid.

Some locals working in the area had noticed a smell from the property. One
said it was like that of a dead rat and others said they had seen white
substances in drains.

The Director-General of Customs, Tony O'Connor, said he could not say how
the gang was caught.

"It was just a case of looking at certain people because of certain
information received and finding they met with others."

Also a factor was the importation of large volumes of chemicals, including
pseudoephedrine.

"It was a series of chemicals to make plastic items."

Also prompting an alert was the importation of various items of machinery
that enabled the gang to carry out the sort of separation needed to make
the finished product. But these items had come into the country after
suspicions had been raised, he said.

The information began to gell and "we slowly built up this picture here of
something happening. That progressively became clearer and clearer". When
around 30 Fijian, New Zealand and Australian police officers swooped at
dawn on Wednesday they knew no one was in the factory. But some police were
armed with rifles just in case.

Senior Sergeant Dave Potaka, a New Zealand detective, said from the factory
yesterday that the suspects had all been arrested at home.

Police Commissioner Andrew Hughes yesterday strongly denied rumours that
corrupt police had been involved in the gang - but did not rule out the
involvement of senior civil servants. He would not say how many or who they
were.

"But there's no police officers, take it from me. Rest assured there are no
corrupt police officers involved in this operation at all."