Asia & Pacific

New Zealand and Pacific Nations Vow to Combat Flow of Drugs Through South Pacific

In 2009, Fiji had only 148 drug-related policing cases (including arrests for cocaine and heroin). But by 2018, this had risen to almost 1,400 arrests.
New Zealand and Pacific Nations Vow to Combat Flow of Drugs Through South Pacific
New Zealand's Prime Minister Christopher Luxon (L) and Tonga's Prime Minister Lord Fatafehi Fakafanua attend a police and transnational crime event in Nuku'alofa in Tonga on March 18, 2026. Ben Strang/AFP via Getty Images
Rex Widerstrom
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New Zealand’s Prime Minister, Christopher Luxon, has signalled stronger cooperation with Pacific nations to stem the flow of drugs in the region as he visits Samoa and Tonga.

The South Pacific is the principal transit route for trafficking drugs and chemical precursors from Asia and South America to Australia and New Zealand, where consumers pay some of the highest street prices in the world.

Rex Widerstrom
Rex Widerstrom
Author
Rex Widerstrom is a New Zealand-based reporter with over 40 years of experience in media, including radio and print. He is currently a presenter for Hutt Radio.