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New plan to tackle drug trafficking in Pacific as Australian cases soar
🇦🇺 Australia /Crime & Justice

New plan to tackle drug trafficking in Pacific as Australian cases soar

From ABC Australia · () English

Summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Official statement New plan
  • Australia is expected to commit A$600 million to a Pacific initiative targeting drug smuggling into the region and Australia.
  • The Waqa Moana plan would expand aerial surveillance, police training and regional coordination to intercept trafficking vessels and narco-submarines.
  • Authorities say seizures of cocaine and methamphetamine have exceeded 17 tonnes this year, up from 5.5 tonnes in 2025.

Australia is preparing to put A$600 million into a new Pacific scheme aimed at stopping the surge of cocaine and methamphetamine trafficking into the region, including Australian cities.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is expected to announce the funding at the Pacific Islands Forum in Palau, where leaders are preparing to endorse the Waqa Moana initiative. The plan would expand aerial surveillance over the Pacific, help authorities intercept smuggling vessels and narco-submarines, and provide more training and support for regional police.

The Pacific was Australia’s home and family.

— Anthony AlbaneseAustralia’s prime minister described the regional relationship while advocating cooperation against organised crime.

The scheme would also improve cooperation among Pacific law enforcement agencies and strengthen Australian Federal Police links with countries in South and Central America, targeting drug supply at its source. A narco-submarine has already washed up on a beach in the Solomon Islands.

Officials are increasingly concerned that the drug trade is contributing to social breakdown, police corruption and serious health problems in parts of the Pacific, including Fiji’s HIV crisis. The article also points to Australian demand, with traffickers seeking lucrative markets in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne.

That’s why it’s in Australia’s interests to work with our Pacific partners to combat organised crime.

— Anthony AlbaneseAlbanese linked Australia’s security interests to cooperation with Pacific countries.

Albanese said the Pacific was Australia’s “home and family” and called for joint action against organised crime. “That’s why it’s in Australia’s interests to work with our Pacific partners to combat organised crime,” he said. “For the good of every country in the region, including our own, we need to work together to stamp out the illicit drug trade.”

The Australian Federal Police declared the increase in drug smuggling a serious national security threat earlier this year. More than 17 tonnes of illicit cocaine and methamphetamine have been seized so far this year, compared with 5.5 tonnes in 2025. Drug trafficking is expected to feature on the agenda as Pacific leaders hold their main meetings in Palau.

For the good of every country in the region, including our own, we need to work together to stamp out the illicit drug trade.

— Anthony AlbaneseHe called for collective regional action against drug trafficking.
About this summary

Originally published by ABC Australia. Summarized and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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