Organised crime does not respect borders.
While opening the Pacific Regional and National Security Conference for Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat members in Suva yesterday, Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka said these criminal groups manipulated borders to fit their ‘business’ model.
“Fiji, like all forum members, also faces the challenge of protecting our waters against transnational organised crime,” he said.
“Fiji, through the combined efforts of our border agencies and the support of our partners, has carried out many drug raids in recent times.
“The value of the drugs seized is estimated to be in the billions of dollars.
“This is the reality Fiji faces as a hub and transit point in the Pacific.”
He said organised criminal groups tampered with borders in their work including unscrupulous individuals engaged in cyber crimes.
“We know that crime and criminal groups do not respect borders. Rather, they manipulate borders in their business model.
“Cyber criminals ignore borders all together.
“These criminal groups can only be disrupted and dismantled by all of us working together.”
Reflecting on these criminal groups and their impact on the Fiji Police Force Acting Deputy Commissioner of Police and the Director Strategic Planning Research and Development ACP Sakeo Raikaci says police officers’ salaries could be a reason for drug lords paying officers thousands to do their work.
Home Affairs Ministry Security Division manager Alipate Naulivou said the inaugural conference that brought together came at the right time as Fiji works to develop its National Security Policy.
“There are some things that Fiji can do on their own but there are some things that we have to do together,” said Mr Naulivou.
“The threats that one Pacific island nation faces we all face together.
“These people that we are dealing with they don’t respect borders which is why this regional security meeting is very timely for us in Fiji.”
