[File Photo]
Pacific leaders are warning that transnational drug trafficking networks are exploiting the region’s vast maritime borders. They say the Pacific is becoming a growing corridor for illicit narcotics.
Pacific Fusion Centre Director Viliame Bovoro says the threat has moved beyond policing. He says it is now a regional security, health, and social crisis.
Bovoro links the issue to wider public health impacts. He points to Fiji’s HIV outbreak as an example of the downstream effects of illicit drugs.
“The spillover is being left in our countries, and the Pacific risks losing an entire generation if action is not taken now.”
Bovoro says Fiji’s role as a regional hub allows local threats to spread quickly across the Pacific and warns that interception of one vessel does not stop others from moving through.
He says traffickers are shifting routes as enforcement increases. About 17 tonnes of illicit drugs have already been seized in the first half of the year.
Bovoro says this reflects the scale of the challenge facing the region. He also points to recent interceptions in Vanuatu, where drug-laden yachts were stopped.
Around two tonnes of illicit drugs were detected in those operations.
Kiribati Minister for Women, Youth, Sport and Social Affairs Ruth Cross Kwansing says the conference is reducing fragmentation in regional responses. She says it brings together governments, law enforcement, health officials, academics, faith groups, and community leaders.
“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”
Kwansing says no island nation is isolated from these threats. She adds that Fiji’s role as a regional gateway makes cooperation essential.
