Some school students have been found using heroin, sharing needles and syringes that have amplified chances of youngsters contracting HIV.
This was highlighted by United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes program officer in cybercrime Mathew Watson while speaking at the Pacific Conference of Churches (PCC) consultation on Thursday in Suva.
“There’s been an example of school kids using heroin needles and sharing them in secondary schools, which is awful at a time when there is a high risk of HIV which is exacerbated through needle sharing,” Mr Watson said.
“So when it comes to security and helping those vulnerable around school children, it’s that prevention aspect with the work that we’re doing.
“I’m looking at developing some materials that we can give to institutions, to students and that awareness be raised because it’s those that are vulnerable in those situations that we need to reach.”
Additionally, he said sex tourism, which was being linked to drug related tourism, was booming because of loopholes in the legislations which allowed drugs to be brought into the Pacific.
He said according to the Transnational Organised Crime Threat Assessment Report, sex tourism was a related society of crime to which involved drug related tourism.
“Sex tourism is a thing when it comes to being the weakest link when it comes to legislation.
“We know these communities are online, we know these predators are online and they’re talking amongst themselves.
“If you go to England, you can do XYZ, you might get caught because there is a loophole.
“And one of the areas that we’re particularly focusing on is plugging that gap for the Pacific.
“We know there are some loopholes in the legislation at the moment which allow criminals to operate in a way that they don’t in other areas.
“And so as a result of that, there is some sex tourism that I think we can address and we can stop.”
He said they had found drugs being brought in by tourist and cargo ships where drugs were being attached to the hull of the ships.
“So you can imagine your cruise liners, yachts, and once they’re near the port, someone goes along and hooks them off.
“So that is obviously being facilitated through an increase of tourism and trade.”
Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Livai Driu says the narcotics division were dealing with the drugs coming into the country.
“Not only locally but we are working with other counterparts with sharing of information and we have managed to lessen the effects on drugs coming into the country,” he said.
“From our point, we have strengthened our control and we are working together with immigration and Customs.”
