The long arm of the law finally caught up with Umarji Aiyaz Mohammed Musa, commonly known as Aiyaz Musa, a notorious drug lord and businessman from Fiji. Aiyaz Musa was recently arrested and jailed for four (4) years in New Zealand.
This begets the question: how come this infamous drug mafia was caught and jailed in New Zealand and not in Fiji? Simple. This is because Musa enjoyed the full patronage of the former Attorney-General and Fiji’s megalomaniac, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum. With solid backing from his co-religionist Sayed-Khaiyum, Musa enjoyed the impunity and was basically ‘above the law’. Both Sayed-Khaiyum and Musa were ‘jihadist brothers in arms’. This is a testament of the prevalence of Islamic dominance during the reign of the FijiFirst party.
Former Fiji Airports Limited Chairman and CEO, the late Faiz Khan, died in 2020 due to the drug (meth) overdose. Renowned Suva lawyer Abdul Lateef was charged with possession of drugs. Reliable sources have attested to the fact that Musa used to supply drugs to both late Khan and Lateef.
Following the defeat of FijiFirst in the December 2022 General Elections, Musa knew he couldn’t operate his drug cartel in Fiji under the new Coalition Government. Hence, he evaded police and importantly, justice.
Musa owns the Hyper Chem Pharmacy in Lautoka. He used to operate the drug cartel from his pharmacy which was essentially his den. Musa also used to own the Nandos Restaurant in partnership with Rajesh Patel, the controversial President of Fiji Football Association (FFA). He was in such close cahoots with Patel that Musa was made a Vice-President of Fiji Football Association. Musa also used to sponsor the Lautoka Football Association. So basically, ‘drug money’ was peddled into local football by Musa and abetted by the likes of Patel. The Musa-Patel partnership also smacked of corruption and nepotism of the highest order. Both the notorious mafias also used to threaten football officials who challenged and opposed them.
Ironically, Musa, being a drug warlord, was also a member of the football’s governing body, FIFA, Governance, Audit and Compliance Committee since May 2021. FIFA has a zero-tolerance policy on drugs and corruption. Therefore, the football governing body (FIFA) should take the local Fiji FA to task and review its development assistance to an organization engulfed in drug money.
The controversy does not end here. In 2017, the Fijian police discovered military-grade arms and ammunition on Musa’s boat and residence in Lautoka. However, six months later, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Office filed a no case to answer application in the court which saw Musa walking away scot-free. Imagine being caught in possession of military-grade arms and ammunition, without license, and walking free without being charged. That was former AG Sayed-Khaiyum’s ‘law of the jungle’.
Whilst it is welcome news that the curtain has finally fallen on this notorious drug lord and criminal, it is noteworthy to reflect on how Musa made a big fortune over the years, his ‘connections’ transcending the Fijian legal and justice system and importantly, enjoying the sound backing of the former AG and his co-religionist and jihadist, Sayed-Khaiyum.
References:
1. https://www.1news.co.nz/2023/08/15/drug-dealing-fifa-fiji-football-official-convicted-in-auckland/
