Reports have emerged that countries like Samoa, Fiji, and Tonga are being used as transit points for major drug trafficking operations targeting lucrative markets such as Australia and New Zealand. 

Police Commissioner, Auapa'au Logoitino Filipo said this sparks "grave concerns" for Samoa. 

He confirmed the topic was on top of the 51st Conference for Pacific Islands Chiefs of Police's agenda in Tonga last week.

Auapa'au, who represented Samoa's Ministry of Police at the conference, expressed serious concerns about the rising trend.

"There is a grave concern about using the region as a transit point for bigger markets such as Australia and New Zealand," Filipo stated. 

He highlighted the risks associated with illegal smuggling operations and the consequent spillover of drugs into smaller Pacific communities, including Samoa.

The commissioner assured that Pacific police leaders are committed to addressing the crisis. 

"We have agreed to work together and to step up our efforts to try and eliminate the problem," he noted. 

This includes bolstering maritime security and enhancing regional cooperation. 

French Polynesia has joined the Pacific Transnational Crime Coordination Centre (P.T.C.C.C.), a multi-agency team based in Apia, Samoa, to bolster collective efforts against transnational crime.

Auapa'au assured that Pacific Chiefs throughout the region engaged in thorough and strategic discussions on how they could work together with Australia and New Zealand to address and prevent the issue from escalating.

The situation is dire. 

Recent reports from ABC Pacific media team in Fiji reveal that the Pacific, particularly Fiji, Tonga and Samoa is increasingly being targeted by drug cartels. 

The islands' remote ports, with their often limited border controls and inadequate detection technologies, are exploited as key transit points for methamphetamine and cocaine destined for Australia and New Zealand. 

This illicit trafficking network has been dubbed the "Pacific drug highway."

Fiji, in particular, has been a focal point of these operations. 

The country's vulnerability was starkly highlighted earlier this year when authorities uncovered one of the largest drug hauls in history—a staggering 5.25 tonnes of methamphetamine, valued at approximately $2 billion, hidden in two homes near Nadi International Airport. 

The sheer scale of this bust shocked many, with neighbours initially mistaking the drugs for building materials.

This significant drug seizure led to the arrest of 13 individuals, with investigations revealing connections to international drug cartels. 

The methamphetamine was intended for distribution in Australia, having arrived in Fiji via an on-water barge. 

The head of Fiji’s navy, Commodore Humphrey Tawake, emphasised the extensive challenge posed by such operations. "These guys (the cartels) are so organized … They’ve got the capacity and the money to do it," he said, highlighting the use of private yachts with disabled navigation systems to evade detection.

Commodore Tawake further explained the difficulties in monitoring the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean. "We have 1.3 million square kilometres of ocean to monitor," he noted. "They (the drug smugglers) change their routes frequently and are highly adaptive, making it crucial for us to stay ahead of the game with the right resources and timely information."

The increasing sophistication of drug trafficking operations and their impact on Pacific island nations underline the urgent need for enhanced maritime security and regional collaboration. 

Nonetheless, there are also concerns about the involvement of young children in the distribution and sale of illicit drugs, as well as their exposure to these activities on their shores.