13 Aug 2002

Four Chinese women deported from Fiji

7:14 am on 13 August 2002

Four of the five Chinese women detained at Fiji's Nadi International Airport at the weekend for attempting to travel to the United States with forged papers have been deported.

The five were detained when their attempt to travel to the United States from Rarotonga was prevented and they were turned back to Nadi by Cook Islands authorities.

The fifth woman, believed to be the head of an international people smuggling ring, is still under interrogation.

The Fiji Times quotes Nadi Airport sources as saying Interpol has been brought into the investigations which are expected to take some time.