Apenisa Waqairadovu 
Pacific customs leaders are stepping up efforts to combat the growing threat of illicit drugs.
They are warning that the region is no longer just a transit route but increasingly a destination for narcotics.
Speaking at the opening of the 28th Oceania Customs Organisation Annual Conference in Natadola, Finance Minister Esrom Immanuel said the drug trade poses serious social, economic and long-term consequences for Pacific communities.
Representatives from 21 customs administrations are meeting in Fiji this week to strengthen regional cooperation, intelligence sharing and border security measures.
The minister stressed that transnational crime can only be tackled through a united regional response, while OCO Chair and Fiji Revenue and Customs Service CEO Udit Singh called for stronger collaboration to address increasingly sophisticated criminal networks operating across the Pacific.
