Pa Enua leaders seek help in combating transnational crime

The lack of resources and security in Pa Enua to tackle transnational crime were the main factors that prompted community leaders from the outer islands to participate in the Transnational Organised Crime workshop held in Rarotonga.

Leaders from the Pa Enua community, along with members of government agencies and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), will participate in the three-day workshop facilitated by the Australian National University’s Pacific Security College.

The workshop, held at the Arepua Community Centre in Takuvaine, is aimed at helping countries build their local capacity.

Tura Mariri, a representative from Atiu Island, stressed the need to provide such courses in Pa Enua, especially due to the lack of resources and security.

Tura Mariri, a representative of Atiu Island. TALAIA MIKA/24092407

“What I learned from this workshop is that we can educate our young children and even all generations about transnational organized crime,” Mariri said.

“And we find it very interesting because on the outer islands where we come from, we have no customs and no security when it comes to crime, particularly drugs, and that is a big concern for us on the outer islands.

“That’s why we look for opportunities like this to learn what we can, even if it’s just knowledge, to train ourselves in how to deal with these kinds of things.”

According to previous reports, the Cook Islands, along with other Pacific island nations, form a maritime corridor for illicit drug trafficking between Australian, Asian and American markets.

A graph from the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, a global network of investigative journalists with staff on six continents, shows that the waters of the Cook Islands are used as transshipment areas by these drug cartels.

According to Mariri, there are rumors that Atiu Island is being used as one of the transit points for drug shipments and that the drug situation on the island is getting worse.

“And again, we are just a remote island with limited resources, so these things are of great importance to us, even if they are just rumours,” he added.

Danielle Watson, Associate Professor at Queensland University of Technology and facilitator of this week’s workshop, explained that the course he delivered was in line with the needs of the country.

Associate Professor at Queensland University of Technology and workshop tutor, Danielle Watson. TALAIA MIKA/ 24092408

Cook Island is considering developing a national strategy to combat transnational organised crime. The course, which is being held in Rarotonga for the first time, comes at an opportune time.

Watson said: “This course basically brings stakeholders together to talk about transnational organised crime and to share their views and concerns from the perspective of both the Outer Islands, Rarotonga, as well as stakeholders from law enforcement agencies, health stakeholders, airport security and various ministerial departments.”

She added that the workshop was a direct request from the Cook Islands Government to help build local capacity in this area.

“The workshop involves content sharing, discussion sessions, reflection activities and group work around identifying or devising strategies to address not only existing challenges but also perceived threats to the Cook Islands. There are many conversations going on around the potential threat posed by returning nationals from other countries who may be involved in criminal activities that the Cook Islands Government needs to be aware of, as well as stakeholders,” Watson explained.

“One of the things we talked about was the potential for drugs to wash ashore and (that) shows where the Cook Islands waters are being used for transhipment and what exactly is happening or not happening in the maritime space and how you can engage community members more in responding to the threat.”

With discussions currently underway in the Cook Islands about extracting minerals from the seabed, the workshop also looked at the potential implications this could have for transnational organised crime networks, the lecturer said.

“We’re not saying there are, but we do want to make sure that stakeholders are present who aren’t part of the conversation and should be here,” Watson added.

“We go through the main topics that are relevant to discussions about transnational organized crime and formulate that strategy. We look at what the regional architecture looks like and how the regional architecture should or could influence events at the national level.

“As you know, the Cook Islands has a national security strategy. It is one of the few countries that has its own strategy and we are looking at building on that, what needs to be done in terms of the basis to develop that strategy for transnational organised crime.”

Pacific Security College offers a range of micro-credential courses in the Pacific to build regional capacity in a variety of areas. One of these courses focuses on transnational organized crime.