Fijian police are investigating allegations of theft and sexual assault against two Virgin Australia crew members in the early hours of New Year's Day, the government said on Thursday.
The alleged attacks took place on Wednesday in the night club area of the city of Nadi, where the international airport is located, Deputy Prime Minister Viliame Gavoka said.
“The alleged incidents are regrettable,” Gavoka said in a statement.
“There were two separate alleged incidents, one of alleged theft and the other of alleged sexual assault, involving two different crew members,” he said.
“The suspect, known to the police in sexual violence, was interrogated. The investigation is ongoing.”
The crew members are staying at a local hotel used by the airline for stopovers and are set to return home this week after helping police with their investigation, the minister said.
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Virgin Australia has sent representatives to Fiji to provide support to the affected staff.
Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade told Reuters it was aware of the reports but declined to comment further.
Gavoka, who is also the tourism and civil aviation minister, said such attacks could happen anywhere and Fiji was not “immune”.
“As always, we remind tourists to be careful in night club areas and late at night,” he said.
The latest crime statistics released by the Fiji Police in November showed that the level of crime for the month of October increased by 6% compared to the same period last year.
Fiji relies heavily on its tourism industry, with around a million visitors a year.
Last month there were seven foreign tourists, including an American hospitalized in Fiji after cocktails at the resort bar. However, the authorities later said that there were tourists not poisoned by alcohol or illegal drugs, officials said after a toxicology report.