Pacific a route for crime

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime has identified the Pacific as a transit point for drug and human trafficking routes, including New Zealand.

The UN said several reports from its drugs and crime unit released over the past decade revealed transnational organised crime was more prominent in the Pacific than it was in the 1980s.

The reports were part of discussions at the inaugural regional law enforcement conference in Fiji this week. Addressing delegates, senior Fijian defence official Jone Usamate said drug syndicate groups were continually exploiting the Pacific’s porous maritime borders to import and stockpile drugs for the New Zealand, Australia, Asia and North America markets.

Usamate said various types of drug trafficking were evident, with an increase in the discovery of methamphetamine, cocaine and precursors. ‘‘Clandestine labs are increasingly being discovered, showing a growing market . . . within our region.’’

‘‘Human trafficking is yet another crime that is on the rise and Pacific island countries are seen to be a source, a transit and destination point,’’ Usamate said.

The Pacific region remained susceptible to transnational organised crimes (TNOC), said Pacific Islands Forum secretarygeneral Henry Puna. The former premier of the Cook Islands said geopolitical competition, Covid-19 and the ongoing unrest in Ukraine continued to exacerbate the region’s economic and development concerns. ‘‘Our geography, situated between manufacturers and markets, makes the region vulnerable.

‘‘Accelerated globalisation has also increased the region’s exposure and created an enabling environment for the proliferation of transnational crimes.’’

Puna said new geographic and commodities markets had opened up along with the creation of transnational supply and value chains. He said this had also weakened regulation in financial services, making TNOC activities more attractive – not only as a choice of crime but also as a choice of career.

Discussions also focused on effective leadership, the implications of money laundering and the legal frameworks in place to respond to transnational crime.

Pacific leaders were challenged to think about how existing networks could be better utilised to build relationships and share information.

Usamate said existing vulnerabilities had been exacerbated and had become push factors for people to join multibillion-dollar criminal networks. ‘‘What is also unfortunate, and perhaps the greatest downside, is that while there might be foreign masterminds involved, it is our own people who are directly involved in the illicit drug context on our streets, in our schools and communities. It is our own people who are directly involved in the sketchy recruitment of our nationals to false hopes of greener pastures overseas,’’ Usamate said. ‘‘This is just a portion of the challenges that need to be addressed in order to disrupt transnational crime in the Pacific.’’

Usamate said the conference was timely because transnational organised crime had increased over the Pacific and he urged the delegates to ‘‘stand together and fight the challenges together’’.

‘‘The Boe Declaration of the 2050 strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent provides guidance on how best we can effectively disrupt transnational crime, among other regional security problems.’’

The Pacific regional law enforcement conference was organised by the Australia Pacific Security College, in partnership with the Pacific Islands chiefs of police, Oceania Customs Organisation and the Pacific Immigration Development Community. The theme was ‘‘Partnering to Disrupt Transnational Crime in the Pacific’’.

This is Public Interest Journalism funded by New Zealand on Air.