World

Australia Commits A$600 Million to Pacific Anti-Drug Trafficking Plan

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Courtroom-sketch editorial illustration of two people transferring a strapped cargo bundle aboard a low-profile semi-submersible vessel in rough open ocean, rendered in warm ochre and slate-blue pastel strokes.

Australia committed A$600 million to the Waqa Moana anti-drug trafficking initiative at the Pacific Islands Forum in Palau. The plan will combine aerial surveillance, border and customs coordination, police support and training, and increased Australian Federal Police cooperation with Central and South American authorities. Officials reported 17 tonnes of cocaine and methamphetamine seized in the Pacific in 2026, up from 5.5 tonnes in 2025. It will use 23 Australian-donated Guardian-class patrol boats, with intelligence coordination in Samoa and interception coordination in Fiji; Pacific countries can opt in.

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