AUSTRALIA has identified transnational crime, particularly the growing flow of illicit drugs through the Pacific, as the biggest priority under its new Vuvale Union with Fiji, with additional police resources, infrastructure support and intelligence co-operation planned over the next decade.
In an interview with The Fiji Times online portal, The Lens@177, Australian High Commissioner to Fiji Peter Roberts said drug trafficking had emerged as one of the region’s most pressing security challenges.
“I think we all want to do more because this is a growing challenge,” he said.
“To be honest, five years ago we wouldn’t have said this was going to be the challenge it was.
“These drug dealers change the routes that they bring drugs according to circumstances and we’ve definitely seen it pick up in the Pacific.
“So I think it’s not Fiji, it’s not Australia, it’s everybody in the region. We all have to be doing more to address this.”
Mr Roberts said tackling the growing flow of illicit drugs was one of the most significant priorities under the Vuvale Union.
“This is probably the biggest individual component in Vuvale Union, be it supporting maritime surveillance, be it the work we do with the RFMF already on the patrol boats that Australia supports, be it in supporting incorporation of sharing information and forensic work as Fiji Police follow leads.
“We’ve got to have across-the-board co-operation and that’s a key pillar of Vuvale Union.
“I should also say, drugs is not just about catching the criminals, it’s also about how we deal with it as a society.”
He also said there was still considerable work to be done in the health sector.
“We’re seeing the issue of HIV emerge and how our communities respond and we’re sharing experiences and how we deal with this in Australia and how Fiji deals with it and there’s lots of opportunities to share there.”
