Drug Trafficking In The Pacific Discussed At Dubai Police Summit
Pacific police chiefs have discussed the region's drug trafficking problems on a panel at the World Police Summit in Dubai. Christina Persico, RNZ Pacific Bulletin Editor
Pacific police chiefs have discussed the region's drug trafficking problems on a panel at the World Police Summit in Dubai.
The summit, from 13-15 May, included expert panel discussions, workshops, and a technology exhibition.
Fiji Police Commissioner Rusiate Tudravu, Royal Solomon Islands Police Force Commissioner Mostyn Mangau, and New Zealand Police Assistant Commissioner Bruce O'Brien participated in a fireside chat with the theme: 'The future of the fight: what needs to be done to combat drug trafficking in the Pacific?'
The Pacific Island Chiefs of Police (PICP) said the panellists acknowledged that the region's exposure to drug trafficking is increasing, and discussed how current and future strategies such as the Pacific Transnational Crime Network, and the Pacific Policing Initiative are being leveraged to reduce the Pacific's vulnerabilities.
Speaking to Emirates News Agency, PICP Secretariat executive director Julian Bianco said new drug smuggling patterns represent a direct challenge to security agencies.
He affirmed that stronger regional cooperation and intelligence sharing are vital, particularly with increased maritime drug transit towards Australia and New Zealand.
In a pre-Budget announcement on Saturday, New Zealand's Customs Minister Casey Costello said the country [https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/560558/government-puts-35m-towards-keeping-drugs-out-of-the-country was increasingly being targeted by organised crime groups.
'Transnational and serious organised crime threats are growing worldwide. These groups are increasingly targeting the Pacific and New Zealand, which has some of the world's highest prices for illicit drugs like methamphetamine and cocaine.'
According to the World Police Summit background information, 80 percent of global cocaine seizures are linked to maritime trafficking.
Drug trafficking is not a new problem in the Pacific.
A 2024 UNODC report said the transnational organized crime threat environment in the Pacific is evolving faster than in any previous point in history.
'Transnational organized crime groups are targeting the region as an increasingly important transit route for the trafficking of methamphetamine and cocaine to and from neighbouring regions,' it said.
'The increase in traffic has also led to a spillover in domestic markets in the Pacific, and authorities in some countries have observed a rise in the availability and use of drugs, particularly methamphetamine.
'Local agencies have observed that non-medical drug use is causing serious harm to some users, with increases in domestic violence risks, sexual violence, child neglect, mental and physical health issues, and poor educational and employment outcomes in some Pacific countries.'
Fiji's Narcotics Bureau warned last month the country's battle against drugs could get harder if fentanyl becomes widespread.
FBC reported Jemesa Lave from the Bureau saying this drug is more dangerous than methamphetamine and cocaine.
Earlier this month, New Zealand's top cop has reassured the leaders of Fiji and Samoa that he has their back, as a regionwide drug crisis rolls on.
In January, Samoan authorities intercepted 10 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine (worth almost NZ$2.5 million in street value), which has been described by the Samoa Observer as 'the largest known drug smuggling operation' on the island.
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