Rising organized criminality in the Pacific islands – What drives it?
A Talk by Mark Shaw , Laura Adal , Dr Tamasailau (Sailau) Suaalii-Sauni , Virginia Comolli and Peter Aitsi MBE
About this Talk
The criminal landscape in the Pacific is changing rapidly. The countries of Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia now occupy a more prominent place along illicit supply chains. The growing presence of foreign criminal and private sector actors is driving the emergence of new criminal markets and is deepening existing ones.
In 2024 the GI-TOC launched a series of papers examining the many foreign criminal groups and business operators that are exploiting Pacific islands’ vulnerabilities. The research, underpinned by extensive field interviews, sheds light on the pernicious activities of these actors and the resulting impact on communities and the environment. Of great concern, some of this criminality is not solely driven by greed. Some criminal actors are also tools of political influence.
This webinar is the opportunity the discuss the findings of the first three reports in the series and to explore possible responses with the attendees. As such we strongly welcome audience participation.
About The Speakers
Associate Professor, University of Auckland
Samoan academic researcher currently working for the Criminology Programme at the School of Social Sciences, University of Auckland
Head of Pacific Programme, GI-TOC
Virginia is responsible for GI-TOC’s new portfolio in the Pacific (Oceania) which consists of research and analytical outputs (including as part of the Global Organized Crime Index), as well as on-the-ground engagement with local and international stakeholders.