Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has called on regional leaders to strengthen intelligence-sharing and information coordination, saying the region’s response to transnational crime must evolve with the changing threat landscape.
While speaking at the Pacific Transnational Crime Summit in Momi, Nadi, Rabuka says legislation and legal frameworks must be modernised to respond effectively to emerging criminal methodologies.
He says maritime surveillance, border management and domain awareness must also be improved.
Rabuka adds that cyber capabilities, financial monitoring systems and digital investigative capacity must be strengthened.
The Prime Minister also highlighted the need to invest in policing infrastructure, technology, training and institutional resilience.
He says operational interoperability among law enforcement agencies and regional security institutions must also be strengthened.
Rabuka says the threats posed by transnational crime in the region are no longer distant or abstract, as they are present, evolving and increasingly complex.
He adds that the Pacific is increasingly being used as a transit corridor for illicit narcotics, while there is growing evidence that some Pacific island countries are now shifting from being transit points to destination markets.
The Prime Minister stressed that this trend is deeply concerning and places enormous pressure on policing systems, border agencies, justice institutions, health systems and communities.
Rabuka says the region is also witnessing the rapid rise of cybercrime, financial scams, online exploitation and money laundering activities that transcend physical borders and challenge traditional law enforcement responses.
He says human trafficking and people smuggling continue to pose serious risks, particularly for vulnerable groups, undermining human dignity and eroding the social fabric of societies.
Rabuka also highlighted that illegal fishing and broader environmental crimes continue to threaten the sustainability of marine ecosystems upon which economies, food security and livelihoods depend.
He says what is clear is that these threats are interconnected, adaptive and transnational by nature.
Rabuka says no single Pacific nation can confront them alone.
The Prime Minister says the region’s response must remain firmly grounded in the Pacific way.
He says the Pacific way reminds us that lasting security is built not only through enforcement, but through trust, dialogue, partnership, inclusion, community resilience and collective responsibility.
Rabuka adds that the summit presents an important opportunity to renew and strengthen Pacific-led approaches to regional security cooperation.
