How could a yacht trip in paradise go so wrong for the Nikolics?
IT seemed like the perfect holiday in paradise with romantic moments on white sand beaches, hiking, and lobster dinners. But disgraced horse trainer John Nikolic is now fighting for life in hospital after authorities allegedly found a haul of drugs, guns and cash on his luxury yacht. Here’s how it came to this.
Law & Order
Don't miss out on the headlines from Law & Order. Followed categories will be added to My News.
IT seemed like the perfect holiday in paradise filled with romantic moments on white sand beaches, hiking, eating fresh coconuts and lobster dinners.
John Nikolic and his wife Yvette were “newbie sailors” when they purchased a luxury yacht and set off on the trip of a lifetime.
They sailed from the USA, to Colombia and Panama before making their way to the Pacific Islands.
NIKOLIC FIJI ARREST: LUXURY BOAT RAID ENDS ROMANTIC ‘ADVENTURE’
JOHN NIKOLIC FIGHTING FOR LIFE IN FIJI AFTER ARREST
EX-TRAINER ONE OF RACING’S MOST FEARED MEN
Satellite tracking shows the former disgraced horse trainer and his wife travelled around islands in French Polynesia before deviating to a small island in the north of Tonga and on to Fiji.
Pictures show a relaxed looking Mr Nikolic as the boat sails through the Panama Canal.
He poses for photos with hauls of fish and with friends.
Just weeks ago a shirtless Mr Nikolic, his wife and two other men posed for a photo at the top of a hill they had hiked up. Below lay a beautiful Pacific Island beach.
On one photo a Facebook friend commented: “The smile says it all. Enjoy your wonderful adventure.”
On another photo a friend remarked: “How happy is Johnny”.
But last weekend the incredible journey came to an end when Fijian authorities raided the couple’s luxury yacht Shenanigans in Port Denarau.
They allegedly discovered a haul of drugs, guns and cash that included:
THIRTEEN bars of cocaine worth as much as $20 million;
SIXTY-FIVE ecstasy tablets worth $15,000;
$20,000 in undeclared cash;
TWO handguns and 97 rounds of ammunition.
Mr Nikolic is now fighting for life in Lautoka Hospital after drinking a toxic cocktail of drugs and his wife languishes in jail facing drug charges.
Fiji’s Revenue and Customs Service confirmed the cache to the Herald Sun on Wednesday.
FRCS chief Visvanath Das said: “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.
“We extended an invitation to the Fiji police force, the Biosecurity Authority and the Ministry of Health to join us.”
He said their combined action had exposed and halted “a smuggling attempt”.
DANNY NIKOLIC VISITS CRITICALLY ILL BROTHER
DISGRACED jockey Danny Nikolic, mother Karen and father John Sr, visited John in the intensive care unit of the hospital on Wednesday morning.
The trio spoke at some length with an unknown man outside the hospital, before leaving in a white Toyota 4WD.
When asked about the condition of his brother, Danny Nikolic said: “No comment”.
His parents also refused to speak.
Yvette, who faces drug charges and is being held in Lautoka Prison, had previously dubbed their sea journey the “adventure of a lifetime”.
In court appearance in Fiji, she pleaded with the magistrate to be allowed to see her sick husband in hospital. The request was denied.
Shenanigans remains moored in the exclusive Denarau marina, flanked by super yachts which largely conceal it from public view.
Fiji’s Police Commissioner, Brigadier-General Sitiveni Qiliho said after the Shenanigans raid, and a seizure of a large quantity of ammunition on a New Zealand-based yacht in Savasuvu on Tuesday, Fiji was quashing any notion that a small Pacific 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 collaboration between law enforcement agencies both here in Fiji and with international law enforcement partners,” he said.
“Those involved in these illegal trades will know that our borders are being monitored.”
INSIDE A PRISON IN PARADISE
IT’S paradise, but not as Yvette Nikolic pictured.
The 42-year-old was meant to be on the “adventure of a lifetime”, sailing from South America to Australia on the luxury yacht, Shenanigans.
But instead, on Tuesday night, she was inside Fiji’s new $5 million remand centre in Lautoka which, for an Aussie banged up abroad on drug charges, is as good as prison life gets.
A few minutes up the road, her husband, John Nikolic, 42, lay in the ageing Lautoka hospital gravely ill.
The Herald Sun can exclusively reveal the brother of jockey Danny Nikolic is believed to have swallowed a potentially deadly cocktail of liquid cocaine mixed with a white powder — most likely methamphetamine.
It is understood the Melbourne horse trainer drank the concoction after his yacht was raided in Port Denarau. Police allege $20 million worth of cocaine and ecstasy, plus $20,000 in cash, guns and ammunition was found on the vessel.
Facing court in Fiji this week, Yvette pleaded with the magistrate to be allowed to visit her critically ill husband.
At Lautoka hospital, patients pack the foyer; sitting on wooden pews or old chairs, waiting to be seen by a doctor or to pick up a prescription.
Some clinics are held outside, in the carpark. A large board blocks a corridor announcing, in handpainted letters, patient visiting hours.
The Lautoka prison, at least, is new and spacious — having opened late last year. According to those who have been inside it, the conditions for prisoners are excellent.
Comprising both a remand centre and a long-term prison, the state-of-the-art facility comfortably houses 24 females in each area, as well as staff.
When the Herald Sun visited the prison on Tuesday and asked to see Yvette, it was told only three people were named on her visitor list; her brother-in-law, disgraced jockey Danny Nikolic, and her in-laws John (Snr) and Karen Nikolic.
Meanwhile Shenanigans is moored in the millionaires’ playground of Denarau Marina, dwarfed, and hidden, by neighbouring super yachts.
Customs officials combed the boat on Tuesday.
John Nikolic has long been mired in controversy. In 2014, John’s house was raided by police investigating the 2011 murder of trainer Les Samba. Mr Samba’s daughter, Victoria, used to be married to Danny.
John’s house on the Gold Coast was raided by police in April 2011 in connection with Mr Samba’s shooting. John has never been charged over the matter.
Four years earlier, John handed in his training licence after his horse, race favourite Baby Boom, failed to place after a punting splurge against it. Among those punting on a poor performance were gamblers connected to Danny.
In 2015, John was banned from horse racing for nine months over a betting scandal.
Both John and Danny were banned from Crown casino and all Australian racetracks in 2012 after it emerged bets were placed on the Smoking Aces race from the complex’s TAB.
Threats aimed at Victoria racing chief steward Terry Bailey abruptly ended Danny’s riding career in the same year.
