Pacific nations are moving toward a co-ordinated regional response against organised crime, amid growing concerns that criminal syndicates are exploiting weak borders, fragmented laws and limited enforcement capacity across the region.
Speaking at the inaugural Pacific Transnational Crime Summit in Nadi, Australian Minister for Home Affairs Tony Burke warned that Pacific countries could no longer tackle transnational crime in isolation.
“The decisions that we’ve taken, we’re now sending forward through to the Pacific Islands Forum because effectively, if organised crime is going to function on a transnational basis, then our response needs to be on a transnational basis as well,” Mr Burke said.
The summit brought together regional ministers, police commissioners and security officials amid increasing concerns over drug trafficking, money laundering, cybercrime and illegal maritime activity across Pacific borders.
Mr Burke said discussions focused on building a stronger regional enforcement framework, including maritime surveillance, cyber co-ordination, intelligence sharing and harmonising laws between Pacific nations.
“We have talked about the full range of co-operation, including maritime co-operation, cyber co-ordination, seeing how we can harmonise legislation, seeing how we can better share information.
“Not simply direct criminal movement information, but also information that goes to money laundering and goes to movement of funds.”
Security experts have repeatedly warned that the Pacific’s vast maritime borders and limited policing resources make the region vulnerable to international criminal networks seeking transit routes for drugs, illicit funds and human trafficking operations.
Mr Burke said the summit marked a significant shift from operational policing discussions to direct political engagement at ministerial level.
“For a long time, our commissioners and police chiefs have been meeting and they have asked for the extra layer of the political involvement to be present at their meeting too.
“I thank Fiji and Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka for making it clear that this had the status of being that first meeting.”
Fiji’s Minister for Policing Iowane Naivalurua said the summit had already delivered a clear regional mandate for action.
“The momentum now has moved, we now have a mandate,” he said.
