Reports from Fiji say there was widespread looting in the towns of Labasa and Savusavu after they were hit by Cyclone Ami.
The Daily Post reports that looters also broke into two commercial banks at the height of the floods brought by the cyclone.
The mayor of Labasa, Charan Jeath Singh, says it was unfortunate that businesses were hit twice within hours - first by the cyclone and flooding and then by the looters.
More than a dozen Labasa shops were looted, with a major supermarket cleaned out within two hours.
Mr Singh says people were swimming everywhere with bags full of goods on floaters.
Police have sent another forty officers from Suva to restore order and recover stolen goods.
