We had technology planning meets greedy markets, Fiji pays the bill. Let’s stop pretending this is only a “drug problem”.
In 2026 Fiji, this is a technology problem wearing a drug jacket. Because drugs don’t move today like they did in the old days. No more just backdoor deals and whispered phone calls. This thing now runs on apps, encryption, crypto, cloud storage, weak passwords, lazy systems, and insiders who know exactly where the blind spots are.
And yes the dark web is part of it. But the dark web alone doesn’t move a single gram. Our technological weaknesses do. This is not Pablo Escobar time; this is e-commerce crime.
Think about how a normal business runs today. Orders are placed online, payments are done digitally, delivery is tracked, and customer feedback is handled quietly. Now replace shoes with drugs. That’s exactly what criminal networks are doing.
The dark web is not some magical underground cave. It’s just hidden online marketplaces plus encrypted messaging plus crypto payments. It’s Amazon with no customer service number.
And criminals love it because messages self-delete, payments don’t go through banks, and identities are hidden behind screens.
Meanwhile, Fiji is still running ports, warehouses, CCTV systems, access controls, and databases like it’s 2008. That’s the mismatch.
Fiji’s real problem is old systems versus smart criminals. Let’s talk Fiji reality, not movie talk.
Many port and logistics systems are outdated. They are fragmented, not integrated, poorly monitored, and dependent on manual checks. Criminals know exactly which parts are logged, which are not, and which systems don’t talk to each other. If data doesn’t connect, crime slips through the gaps.
Yes, we have CCTV. But let’s be honest. Many cameras are cheap imports, default passwords are never changed, footage is stored unsecured, and access is shared casually. So instead of cameras catching criminals, they often become surveillance toys, leaked footage, and insider tools. Security theatre, not real security.
The insider problem is the one nobody wants to say out loud. Here’s the hot truth that burns chairs. Big drug movements don’t happen without insiders. Not hackers. Not dark web geniuses. Insiders.
People who know the systems, know the schedules, know which logs are checked, and know which passwords never change. And in a small country like Fiji, people talk, favours are exchanged, and “just help me this once” becomes permanent. Technology doesn’t fail here, people abuse it.
Encrypted apps are the new payphone. You don’t need the dark web to recruit or coordinate in Fiji. All you need is WhatsApp, Telegram, disappearing messages, and coded language. The dark web handles ordering and payment. WhatsApp handles recruitment and movement.
That’s the real pipeline. And because everything is “private”, parents, teachers, and even communities only see the damage when it’s already too late.
Globally, darknet drug markets generated over $US1.7 billion ($F3.72b) in crypto drug transactions in 2024. Oceania has seen dark-web drug buying jump from 6per cent in 2014 to more than 17 per cent by 2021.
Now add Fiji’s context, 79 per cent + internet usage, 60 per cent + social media usage, growing youth unemployment, rising drug injection, and exploding HIV cases.
This is not coincidence. This is digital exposure plus weak safeguards plus social pressure colliding.
When tech fails, Fiji bleeds literally. Let’s connect the dots nobody likes to connect. Drugs enter communities, injection rises, and HIV spikes. WHO and UNAIDS data show Fiji’s HIV numbers exploding in recent years, with strong links to injecting drug use.
That’s not just crime anymore. That’s system failure with blood on the floor. And no firewall can clean that up later. Sarcastic but true, Fiji has “smart criminals” and “manual defenses”.
Criminal networks use encryption, rotate accounts, hide identities, and follow global trends. Meanwhile, systems aren’t audited, logs aren’t reviewed properly, access controls are weak, and cyber skills are limited. It’s like playing Super Rugby with slippers.
The solution is not more shouting, it’s smarter tech use. Here’s the part people need to hear, even if it burns.
Treat this as cyber-enabled crime, not street crime. Drug trafficking today is IT-assisted. We need cyber investigators, financial tracking skills, data analytics, and cross-agency systems that actually talk.
Kill insider risk properly. Not with speeches. With access logs, role-based permissions, regular audits, rotation of duties, and real consequences. Trust is good. Verification is better.
Secure the tech we already have. Before buying more gadgets, change default passwords, lock down CCTV access, secure storage, and control remote logins. Half the battle is basic cyber hygiene.
Educate communities the smart way. Not textbook, not lecture. Teach how recruitment happens, how “easy money” works, how apps are used to trap people, and why silence protects criminals. Kids understand tech faster than adults. Use that. Final hard truth for Fiji is that the dark web is not the enemy, our weak systems, lazy tech practices, insider abuse, and slow planning are.
The dark web is just the engine. The pipeline exists because we left the gates unlocked. If Fiji doesn’t upgrade systems, skills, accountability, and cyber capability, then criminals will always be one update ahead.
And the price will keep being paid in addiction, HIV, broken families, and lost futures. Technology can protect us or destroy us. Right now, we are letting it be used against us.
And that, honestly, is on us.
MOHAMMED NAFEEZ is an IT professional in Fiji, with over 13 years of experience in digital education, service delivery, and community development. A passionate advocate for digital equity, he worked across educational institutions, private sector, and grassroots levels to promote inclusive ICT growth in Fiji. The views expressed in this article are his and do not reflect the views of this newspaper.
