'Pacific watch' reporting platform to help track drug traffickers

Pacific police have launched a new regional reporting platform aimed at helping communities fight transnational crime and drug trafficking across the region’s vast maritime borders.

The initiative, called Pacific Watch, was unveiled yesterday at the inaugural 2026 Pacific Transnational Crime Summit at the Fiji Marriott Resort Momi Bay.

The platform, currently in phase one, features an online reporting website allowing members of the public to safely and anonymously report suspicious behaviour, drug-related activities and other crimes threatening community safety.

Fiji Police Force spokesperson Ana Naisoro said the initiative was designed to strengthen community involvement in combating organised crime.

“One of the main intents of the campaign was to encourage and promote community engagement in the fight against transnational crime within the region,” Ms Naisoro said.

Pacific Watch is built around three key steps — Recognise, Remember and Report — and allows anonymous reporting through an online platform.

AFP clerical officer Allison Reid said criminal syndicates were exploiting the Pacific’s vast ocean borders to move illicit drugs through island nations, making public cooperation critical.

She said police could not tackle the growing threat alone.

Phase two of the Pacific Watch initiative is expected to introduce additional features, including the ability to upload photos and videos as evidence, offline reporting options for remote communities, and translations into different Pacific languages to improve accessibility across the region.