17 tonnes of illicit drugs have been seized in the Pacific by local and international police so far this year, more than three times the amount seized across the whole of last year.
Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett says most of the illicit drugs being trafficked to and through the Pacific are destined for Australia, so the AFP had a moral responsibility to act and a direct responsibility to the Australian public to stop the drugs from reaching its shores.
She says Pacific Island Chiefs of Police have watched from afar the impacts of illicit drugs on Australia, and now they fear the diabolical reality facing their communities.
Barrett says the illicit drug threat to the Pacific is exponentially increasing - corroding their health systems, their family structures, and their future - their next generation.
The AFP Commissioner says the effect on such small populations is devastating.
She adds it is a complete undermining of their faith, family structure and their proud culture.
