The High Court has ordered the transfer of firearms and ammunition from the John Geoffery Nikolic criminal case to the Republic of Fiji Military Forces armoury for secure custody, as authorities continue investigating the disappearance of 12.9 kilograms of cocaine from the same case.

The order was issued today by High Court Judge Justice Daniel Goundar.

Under the order, the Registrar is required to arrange for the exhibits to be handed over by their present custodian to an authorised RFMF officer.

The exhibits listed in the order include a revolver, a packet of Aquila ammunition, six live rounds removed from the revolver, a short gun, an empty magazine, 71 rounds of ammunition and two storage containers.

The Court has directed that the RFMF retain the exhibits in secure custody and preserve their identity, integrity and condition until further order.

The order states that the transfer is for custody only and does not authorise any transfer of ownership or disposal.

The exhibits also cannot be used, altered, destroyed, disposed of or released to any person without a further order of the Court.

The order comes less than a week after Police confirmed that 12.9 kilograms of cocaine seized in the Nikolic case is missing from the Suva High Court exhibit room.

Police said the matter was reported on 26 March by Chief Registrar Tomasi Bainivalu and is now part of a wider investigation into missing drug exhibits.

Investigators have been following leads and recording witness statements.

Nikolic was arrested after Fiji Customs officers searched the yacht Shenanigans at Port Denarau on June 2018.

The High Court later convicted him of importing illicit drugs and possessing arms and ammunition without a licence. The case involved 12.9 kilograms of cocaine, 65 tablets containing cocaine and methamphetamine, and 112 rounds of ammunition.

He was initially sentenced to 23 years’ imprisonment, with a non-parole period of 18 years.