Drug pyndicates Targeting Pacific: UN Rep
rnited Nations office repJ resentative on drugs and crime Inshik Shim says neighbouring regions in the pacifJ ic are undergoing rapid changes in the drug market.
He said this was mainly through supply with drug syndicates miJ grating to areas which they exJ ploited to produce mass amounts of drugs.
During his virtual presentation at the Pacific Regional Law EnforceJ ment Conference on Tuesday he said there was an increase in the mass supply of methamphetamine to pacific island countries.
“We saw there were a few cases recently reported seizures in the region, Fiji and Tonga and some other countries in the pacific also reported seizures of methamphetaJ mine,” Mr Shim said.
“In 2004 in Fiji an Asian drug synJ dicate set up a huge scale methamJ phetamine laboratory and it was set up by a Chinese triad and we cannot believe what they can do, they started targeting more pacific countries.”
He also noted the discovery of other small-scale labs in Papua New Guinea in 2021, Nakasi in 2013, Valelevu in 2015, Nadi in 2019 and Denarau, Nadi this year.
“In East and South-East Asia where I am based, over the last decJ ade, the seizures of methamphetaJ mine have increased every year and in 2021 approximately 171.5 tonnes of methamphetamine were seized in East and South-East Asia,” he said.
Methamphetamine trafficking and production trends indicated this was a more commonly used substance rather than cocaine.
There are two major regions, namely East and South-East Asia and the second is North America with the Pacific located near these two regions.
“You can see also the number of identified users of methamphetaJ mine in a country is rapidly inJ creasing. This tells a lot about the pacific as well because we see also the increased quantity,” he said.
“It will create a demand for more and more number of people in the pacific who will have a opportunity to use this methamphetamine, this is something that pacific authoriJ ties must pay more attention to.”