By Jared Savage
Aiyaz Mohammed Musa Umarji, a prominent Fijian businessman and sports administrator, has been deported to Fiji after serving a reduced sentence for his role in a drug-smuggling operation. The 48-year-old pleaded guilty to importing $5 million worth of pseudoephedrine, a precursor to methamphetamine production, and was sentenced in August 2023 to four years in prison. However, his sentence was shortened by six months following an appeal.
Umarji’s release came after a Parole Board hearing in which he was questioned about his criminal actions. He admitted that his involvement in smuggling drugs was motivated by greed, revealing that he was paid $10 per packet of Actifed pills—containing pseudoephedrine—he helped import.
Despite the Parole Board’s concerns about Umarji potentially returning to the drug trade, they were convinced that he would not re-offend. His strong support network in Fiji, which assured the Board that he no longer had any role in his family’s business, played a significant role in their decision. Additionally, there was no evidence of his direct connection to a criminal syndicate in New Zealand, making his deportation less of a risk.
Umarji’s case marked a dramatic fall from grace. He was once the managing director of Hyperchem, a pharmaceutical network in Fiji and the Pacific Islands, and a key figure in Fiji’s sports community, serving as the vice president of the Fiji Football Association and as a committee member of FIFA.
Umarji’s involvement in the drug trade came to light after New Zealand detective Peter Reynolds uncovered evidence connecting him to Firdos “Freddie” Dalal, who had been convicted for smuggling pseudoephedrine into New Zealand. Umarji used Dalal’s freight forwarding company to facilitate his shipments, which were transshipped through New Zealand. The operation brought an estimated 678,000 Actifed pills containing about 40.7kg of pseudoephedrine.
After being charged in December 2019, Umarji fled to India before eventually returning to face justice. In 2022, he voluntarily surrendered to New Zealand authorities, pleaded guilty to drug smuggling charges, and was sentenced. However, he is now unable to return to New Zealand until February 2027, as his sentence is not fully complete.
Umarji’s case is an example of how organized crime, international smuggling, and white-collar business activities intersect, leading to a major conviction and the eventual dismantling of a sophisticated drug-importing operation.