We do not have the figures for human trafficking and the reality is we are only scratching the surface as it is also very difficult to quantify by the domestic police.
Those are the comments of Senior Liaison Officer for the Pacific at the New Zealand High Commission, Superintendent Glyn Rowland while speaking at the Fiji Law Society Convention 2025 held in partnership with the Pasefika Lawyers Collective at the Crowne Plaza, Nadi.
Rowland says when it comes to human trafficking, the figures are very much underground and it is quite a sinister area.
He thinks the more we talk about human trafficking the better, as we will be able to do more with more awareness on the issue.
Rowland adds he sometimes gets a little bit upset when he sees academics write that NZ, Australia and other countries need to do a lot more, as they are doing a lot, and working exceptionally hard to combat these issues but it is not just about policing - it is about education, the health sector and communities.
Speaking on hard drugs, Rowland says this was previously driven from the demand from Australia and NZ primarily, and the route is from America or Asia with the transit route being Fiji.
He stresses that it was always said that a transit route never remains a transit route.
Rowland says over the years, we have gone from being a transit route to an established domestic market in some Pacific island countries.
He says we certainly do not want to be there and it has moved quite fast when we talk about drugs.
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