The Pacific is increasingly becoming a crucial hub for transnational organised crime, serving as a key transit, operational, and destination point for global crime syndicates, according to a new report from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). Launched today in Suva, Fiji, the report titled Transnational Organized Crime in the Pacific: Expansion, Challenges, and Impact provides a comprehensive analysis of the rapidly evolving crime landscape in the region.
Foreign criminal syndicates, mainly from Asia and the Americas, are exploiting the Pacific’s geographical isolation and weak law enforcement presence. These groups are using the region’s strategic location to traffic illicit drugs, weapons, and other contraband through ship-to-ship transfers in largely unpatrolled waters. Baron Waqa, Secretary-General of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS), warned that transnational organised crime poses a significant security threat to the Pacific and its people.
“Transnational organised crime has become a significant security threat in the Pacific, raising serious concerns for the region and its people,” Waqa said during the report launch, attended by senior government officials from Fiji, neighbouring countries, and international partners. “PIFS welcomes this crucial report as it sheds light on the nature of the challenges we face and helps shape our collective regional response.”
A particularly alarming trend is the rise in methamphetamine use across Pacific countries like Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and Tonga. Matthew David Watson, UNODC’s lead advisor on transnational organised crime in the Pacific, emphasised that the growing methamphetamine trade is directly linked to the increasing flow of illicit drugs through major trafficking routes.
The report also highlights the concerning infiltration of legitimate business sectors by organised crime groups. These syndicates are masking their illicit activities under the guise of sectors such as hospitality and pharmaceuticals, using technology to evade detection. This trend complicates law enforcement efforts across the Pacific, with significant implications for major regional markets like Australia and New Zealand.
Benedikt Hofmann, Deputy Regional Representative of UNODC’s Regional Office for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, added that organised crime not only threatens governance and stability but also endangers the region’s biodiversity, natural resources, and the livelihoods of local communities.
The report calls for stronger regional cooperation among Pacific Island Countries and Territories to combat the escalating crime wave. Hofmann stressed that small island states, with their limited resources, cannot address these challenges alone. “Addressing the growing threat of organised crime requires a coordinated regional approach and stronger international partnerships,” Hofmann said.
The report urges Pacific nations to enhance regional collaboration, improve law enforcement capabilities, and engage with international partners to counteract the rising tide of transnational organised crime.
Click here for the report.
(From UNODC media release and news reports)
