Revealed: Drugs, weapons stash allegedly found on John Nikolic’s yacht during raid

FORMER Melbourne horse trainer John Nikolic has risked everything, including his life, to protect an extensive drugs and guns cache, which can be revealed for the first time.

FORMER Melbourne horse trainer John Nikolic has risked everything — including his life — to protect an extensive drugs and guns cache, which News Corp Australia can reveal for the first time.

As the 42-year-old languishes in a Fijian hospital and wife Yvette is in jail, the extent of the raid by Fijian authorities on his luxury yacht Shenanigans has been laid bare.

A drugs stash allegedly seized from John Nikolic’s yacht. Picture: Mark Stewart

It includes:

• Thirteen bars of cocaine worth as much as $20 million;

• Sixty-five ecstasy tablets;

• $20,000 of undeclared cash;

• Two guns – a revolver and a Smith and Wesson;

• Ninety-seven rounds of ammunition.

Some of the drugs allegedly uncovered in the raid by Fiji’s Revenue and Customs Service. Picture: Mark Stewart/ News Corp Australia

Fijian authorities raided the luxury yacht Shenanigans: Picture: Fiji Sun

Fiji’s Revenue and Customs Service (FRCS) confirmed the cache to News Corp after targeting and profiling the luxury yacht which arrived in Port Denarau.

Nikolic and wife Yvette purchased the yacht last year to sail the tropical Pacific Islands.

“Through the profiling and targeting done by Customs Drug Enforcement Unit, it was determined that Customs needed to carry out a rummage of the yacht,” FRCS CEO Visvanath Das said in a statement.

The raid allegedly uncovered drugs and weapons. Picture: Mark Stewart

“The search was headed by FRCS ... we extended an invitation to the Fiji police force, Biosecurity Authority of Fiji and the Ministry of Health to join us on the rummage.”

Das added Fiji authorities had dutifully exposed, and put a stop to, “a smuggling attempt”.

The Nikolics had sailed from Colombia, to Panama, and then through the Pacific, before being intercepted by Fijian authorities.

Yvette and John Nikolic dubbed their sea journey the “adventure of a lifetime”.

A bedroom inside Nikolic’s yacht.

Following the raid, it is understood John drank a toxic cocktail of liquid cocaine and methamphetamine, causing him to become critically ill and be taken to Lautoka Hospital, some 45 minutes away from Denarau.

Earlier today, disgraced jockey Danny Nikolic visited his critically ill brother in the intensive care unit of Fiji’s Lautoka Hospital.

He was seen walking out of the hospital with his mother Karen and father John (Snr), shortly after 1pm, in the wake of Thursday’s spectacular raid on his brother’s luxury yacht, Shenanigans, and the seizure of huge quantities of drugs.

The trio spoke at some length with an unknown man outside the hospital, before leaving in a white Toyota 4WD.

MORE: Disbelief over Nikolic drugs and guns charges

MORE: Disgraced horse trainer John Nikolic fighting for life in Fiji

MORE: Yvette Nikolic languishes in Fiji prison

John Nikolic Snr and wife Karen visited their son John in Lautoka Hospital, Fiji. John is believed to be critically ill after drinking a toxic cocktail of drugs. Picture: Mark Stewart

Asked by News Corp Australia about the condition of his brother John, 42 — who is understood to be critically ill after drinking a toxic cocktail of liquid cocaine and methamphetamine following the raid — Danny Nikolic said “no comment”.

His parents also refused to speak.

John and his wife Yvette, 42, purchased Shenanigans last year to cruise the tropical Pacific Islands.

They had dubbed the sea journey, the “adventure of a lifetime”.

Maps of the pair’s odyssey show they travelled to Colombia in South America, to Panama, and then set sail across the Pacific.

Yvette is now in Lautoka’s women’s prison, on the outskirts of the Fiji town, about 45 minutes from Denarau Harbour charged with drug offences and John is believed to be still fighting for his life.

In a recent court appearance, Yvette pleaded with the magistrate to be allowed to see her sick husband in hospital.

Their yacht remains moored in the exclusive Denarau Marina, where as late as yesterday, customs officials combed the boat.

Shenanigans is flanked by super yachts, largely concealing it from public view.

John Nikolic’s yacht was seized by Fijian authorities. Picture: Facebook

Fiji Police Commissioner Brigadier General Sitiveni Qiliho said after the raid, and a seizure of a large quantity of ammunition on a New Zealand-based yacht in Savasuvu on Tuesday, Fiji had quashed any notion that “a small Pacific island nation” could not effectively police its borders.

Three people from the NZ yacht, the captain and two crew members, were now in police custody, he said.

“The latest joint operation is bringing to the forefront the effectiveness of the interagency collaboration between law enforcement agencies both here in Fiji and with international law enforcement partner,” General Qiliho said.

“The latest seizures and interceptions made at our points of entry shows the increased level of collaboration between all agencies involved and we continue to look at ways to improve the status quo so that those involved in these illegal trades will know that our borders are being monitored.”

Originally published as Revealed: Drugs, weapons stash allegedly found on John Nikolic’s yacht during raid