‘Drug trade overtaking region’

Listen to this article:

Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama (right) speaking during the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting with the civil society at Funafuti, Tuvalu yesterday. Picture: AQELA SUSU

RETURNING to the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting this week in Funafuti, Tuvalu, Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama used the platform to call for an urgent need to tackle the illicit drug trade slowly overtaking the region.

In his comments after the presentation by civil society organisations during the forum leaders meeting yesterday, Mr Bainimarama said this needed to be addressed quickly.

“Fiji also sees the urgent need for us as a region to tackle the issue of illicit drugs trafficking that is affecting our communities,” he said.

“There is a clear need for some regional collaborative action at all levels on this.”

In supporting Fiji’s call, Australian Minister for International Development and the Pacific Alex Hawke said drugs were affecting a lot of young people in the region and they were working with several Australian civil society organisations to address the issue.

Mr Hawke said “criminal gangs” were bringing drugs to the Pacific, and through the Pacific to children.

He said the Australian Fusion Centre would help address the issue of drug trafficking in the region.

“In Australia, we have a huge problem on young people at this time.

Meanwhile, the Fiji Police had earlier told The Fiji Times that the illicit drug trade was an issue of concern and had focused their resources and efforts to help eradicate it from the streets.

Police Commissioner Brigadier-General Sitiveni Qiliho had partly blamed Australia and NZ for the increase saying the drugs confiscated during transit in Fiji were allegedly destined for either of the two countries.

Array
(
    [post_type] => post
    [post_status] => publish
    [orderby] => date
    [order] => DESC
    [update_post_term_cache] => 
    [update_post_meta_cache] => 
    [cache_results] => 
    [category__in] => 1
    [posts_per_page] => 4
    [offset] => 0
    [no_found_rows] => 1
    [date_query] => Array
        (
            [0] => Array
                (
                    [after] => Array
                        (
                            [year] => 2023
                            [month] => 12
                            [day] => 28
                        )

                    [inclusive] => 1
                )

        )

)

No Posts found for specific category