It is good to know that Australia is prepared to fund a new border management system to help Fiji track people of interest linked to transnational crime. This includes those connected to drugs and gun smuggling.
Australian Minister for Pacific Island Affairs Pat Conroy said the support was part of Australia’s broader commitment to help Fiji fight transnational crime under the Vuvale Union.
He made no bones about the seriousness of the issue, stressing this was a threat to the Pacific.
The danger posed by transnational crime, he noted, has become more evident in Fiji following recent events.
Australia, he said, would continue to stand side by side with Fiji in the fight against organised crime and efforts to stamp out gun smuggling across the Pacific.
Fighting and disrupting criminal networks, he said, was a major priority under the Vuvale Union, and success would depend on countries working closely together.
To support this effort, Australia is using national, bilateral and regional partnerships to help Fiji strengthen its security response.
Australia has already assisted Fiji through the provision of two Guardian-class patrol boats and an $83million investment in the Vuvale Maritime Essential Services Centre aimed at boosting Fiji’s maritime surveillance and response capability.
Authorities are also working with the Fiji Police Force through Operation Nautilus to disrupt the drug trade.
At the same time, both countries are working to tighten Fiji’s borders through investments in container examination facilities at key ports.
Australia has now announced financial support for Fiji to acquire an integrated border management system capable of tracking persons of interest crossing borders.
Mr Conroy said transnational crime extends beyond illegal goods such as drugs. It also involves criminal syndicates operating across multiple borders and jurisdictions.
The Vuvale Union, he said, would further strengthen Fiji’s capabilities in interdiction, policing, legislation, prosecution and intelligence gathering.
Australia, he added, would also back Fiji’s leadership role in building a stronger regional response to stop threats before they reach our shores.
It makes sense that our neighbours are keen to assist us. Australia is a major target for international drug cartels and criminal syndicates because that is where the huge profits are. The Australian market is lucrative, and those involved in the illicit drug trade know it.
However, when Fiji is used as a launch pad for shipments heading to Australia, our people are exposed to the devastating consequences of the drug trade.
Our youth become vulnerable to addiction, crime and violence. Communities are exposed to the social destruction that follows illicit drugs. There is also the growing health risk, including the spread of HIV through the sharing of needles and syringes.
The reality is that Australia’s tough border controls mean criminal syndicates will continue looking toward Pacific Island nations as staging points for their operations.
That means Fiji and our Pacific neighbours will be used as bases to organise and move shipments destined for Australia.
Any support in the war against drugs should therefore be welcomed.
This latest development is encouraging and positive. We are not isolated from global criminal networks and their reach. We are part of a connected region facing shared threats. So, we need strong partnerships, better border protection and regional cooperation! We need to be engaged!
