Pacific drug seizures triple as 17 tonnes intercepted in months

After 17 tonnes of illicit drugs were seized across the Pacific in just the first few months of 2026, Pacific leaders are being urged to strengthen regional cooperation against organised crime.

Minister for Policing Ioane Naivalurua delivered the warning during the Pacific Police Ministers Meeting at the 2026 Pacific Transnational Crime Summit at the Fiji Marriott Resort Momi Bay in Nadroga yesterday.

Co-hosting the first such meeting alongside Australia, Mr Naivalurua said the scale of drug trafficking showed transnational criminal networks were expanding rapidly across the Pacific.

“This is not a routine meeting,” he said.

“Seventeen tonnes of illicit drugs have been seized across the Pacific in the first few months of this year alone, more than three times the total seized across all of last year.

“This is not a trend. This is a tide and it is rising.”

Mr Naivalurua said Pacific nations already had security frameworks in place, but political leadership and operational coordination remained disconnected.

“What remains unfinished is the translation of that intent into coherent, coordinated, intelligence-led action on the water, on the ground and on land,” he said.

“As ministers, we are not here simply to receive briefings. We are here to lead.

“Our commissioners and police chiefs are doing their work with discipline and dedication, but operational excellence without political coherence is a ship without a rudder.”

The minister also referred to the seizure of 2.64 tonnes of cocaine in Vatia, the largest drug seizure in Pacific history, describing it as a warning sign for the region.

“Our maritime domain is being targeted by sophisticated criminal networks with global reach. A single seizure without institutional architecture is a moment, not a movement,” he said.

There were also calls during the meeting for stronger intelligence sharing, accountability mechanisms and better regional alignment between political priorities and operational operations.

“Let this meeting mark a turning point from coordination to consequence and from cooperation to action,” Mr Naivalurua said.

“Leadership is not the title we hold. It is a decision we make when the stakes are high and the easy path is silence. Today the stakes are high. Let us not be silent. Everything rises and falls on leadership.”