Pacific police chiefs have issued a strong warning to transnational organised crime groups, vowing to strengthen regional cooperation and intensify efforts to stop illicit drugs and criminal networks targeting Pacific communities.
The commitment was outlined in the official communique released following the first Pacific Transnational Crime Summit held in Fiji from May 18 to 22.
The summit, co-hosted by the Fiji Police Force and the Australian Federal Police under the theme “Connected by Ocean, United in the Fight”, brought together law enforcement agencies from across the Pacific and internationally, alongside representatives from the banking and finance sector, the Pacific Islands Law Officers’ Network and the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime.
In the communique, Pacific police chiefs acknowledged the growing challenges posed by transnational organised crime, including corruption, technology-driven crime and violence.
They also recommitted to strengthening the Pacific Transnational Crime Network framework and endorsed measures to improve maritime domain awareness and intelligence sharing across the region.
Among the key outcomes was support for the development of an intelligence-led mechanism to coordinate maritime interdictions of illicit drugs, aimed at bridging the gap between law enforcement and maritime security agencies.
Police chiefs also fully backed the establishment of the International Joint Investigations Team involving Australian and New Zealand law enforcement agencies and the Colombian National Police to disrupt illicit drug shipments entering the Pacific.
Fiji Police Commissioner Rusiate Tudravu said the summit highlighted the urgent need for stronger collaboration among Pacific nations.
“The commonalities faced in the fight against transnational crime, while varying in scale, require collaboration across regional and international law enforcement, and this was evident throughout the summit,” Commissioner Tudravu said.
“With the backing of our Police Ministers, the onus is on us as Police Chiefs to ensure tangible outcomes that can be felt throughout our Pacific communities. We cannot afford to allow the summit to be just another meeting. Our people demand action, and we vow to reflect this through enhanced collaboration, sending a strong collective warning that the Pacific is fighting back.”
AFP Commissioner Krissy Barrett said Pacific leaders were increasingly concerned about the growing threat posed by illicit drugs to island communities.
“Pacific Island Police Chiefs have watched from afar the impacts of illicit drugs on Australia and now they fear the diabolical reality facing their communities,” Commissioner Barrett said.
“Together, as heads of Pacific Police, we need to target the cartels and organised criminals who are trafficking the poison affecting our communities and our kids.
“Our communities are relying on our collective action to keep them safe. It takes our connected network of Pacific Chiefs and Commissioners to break the organised crime networks targeting our communities.”
The summit also endorsed the launch of Pacific Watch, an online anonymous reporting platform designed to help members of the public safely report suspicious transnational criminal activity.
