Pacific police leaders have been urged to strengthen regional efforts against transnational crime as the Pacific Transnational Crime Summit continued today alongside the Pacific Police Chiefs meeting.

Fiji Police Force Commissioner Rusiate Tudravu told delegates the Pacific is facing increasing pressure from international criminal networks using the region as a trafficking route for illegal commodities.

Commissioner Tudravu said the Pacific was once considered only a transit point for transnational crime but has now become a target destination for criminal syndicates.

He warned that illegal activities are leaving serious impacts on Pacific communities while overseas syndicates continue to profit from the trade.

Commissioner Tudravu said the summit provides an important opportunity for Pacific Police Chiefs to strengthen cooperation and develop practical responses to combat organized crime across the region.

He also urged regional leaders not to allow criminal networks to overpower law enforcement efforts, stressing the importance of continuing the fight against transnational crime.

Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett said the threat posed by transnational crime in the Pacific is serious and affecting communities across the region.

Commissioner Barrett said organized criminals are spreading harmful drugs and illegal commodities that continue to impact families and future generations throughout the Pacific.

The summit is being jointly hosted by the Fiji Police Force and the Australian Federal Police.