While the route has been in use for decades, law enforcement experts told the Guardian that the quantity of drugs trafficked through it has exploded in the last five years. John Coyne, head of border security at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, said that Pacific nations were the “victims” of being caught between Australia and its drug supplier. “They are transit countries for organised crime in the importation of drugs,” he said. But Sousa-Santos said that while there were some good initiatives in the region, he had encountered resentment among Pacific communities over the approach taken by Australia and New Zealand. A spokesperson for the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said: “Australia is stepping up its security engagement in the Pacific, including through key regional initiatives the Australia Pacific Security College and Pacific Fusion Centre.

Source: The Guardian June 25, 2019 23:10 UTC