Drug trafficking in the Pacific: 17 tonnes seized in 2026
Pacific nations are strengthening cooperation against maritime drug trafficking at a seminar in Noumea. Drug seizures surged in 2026, revealing trafficking that generates billions of dollars.
Combating lucrative criminal networks
A regional seminar dedicated to combating maritime drug trafficking ended on Thursday 5 November in Noumea, bringing together representatives from several Pacific nations to strengthen their cooperation against criminal organisations. According to la1ere.franceinfo.fr, authorities released an alarming figure: nearly 17 tonnes of narcotics seized in 2026.
This volume already represents nearly four times the amount recorded over the entire year 2025. Seizures in the first five months of 2026 illustrate the growing scale of drug trafficking in the region and its transformation into a major security challenge for the region.
Cédric Rollet, regional director of customs in New Caledonia, states that evaluating the precise revenues generated by these trafficking operations proves difficult. He notes nevertheless that "the turnover generated by drug trafficking runs into billions of dollars at the global level, which generates financial power for criminal organisations". This financial power enables them to acquire technology, establish corruption in ports and airports, and infiltrate logistics hubs.
Authorities acknowledge that drugs represent a major public health threat. But drug trafficking also has a detrimental effect on the economy and public finances. Rollet emphasises that "beyond people's health, it has a cost for social services that must address this issue". Investigators do not simply intercept cargo; they also seek to trace financial circuits to understand how trafficking profits are reinvested.
Money generated by trafficking is "laundered in criminal activities, so it's a self-perpetuating cycle", explains the customs director. This spiral remains difficult to break, particularly because financial flows remain complex to trace. Investigation services acknowledge that further progress must still be made in this area.
France used this seminar to clarify its contribution to combating regional drug trafficking. Véronique Roger-Lacan, French ambassador for the Pacific, states that France wishes to "insert itself into the regional system that was validated by heads of state and government at the Pacific Forum last August". She mentions the Pacific Academy, a training programme for military personnel from countries in the region, presented in 2023 by Emmanuel Macron.
Source: Google News FR — Crime (fr)