Minister Tanangada raises alarm on potential drug network in the region
BY SAMIE WAIKORI
The national government through the Royal Solomon Island Police Force have been working together with regional and international law enforcement agency to establish potential drug network in the Pacific region.
This comes following the recent discovery of abandoned narco-type-submarines in the country, which two of them assessed by RSIPF, were suspected of being involved in the transportation of illicit drugs across the region.
Speaking in parliament yesterday, Minister of Police, National Security and Correctional Services (MPNSCS), Jimson Tanangada made the statement, in response to question raised by Leader of the Official Parliamentary Opposition, Matthew Wale, on the government’s findings of the narco-sub-vessels.
The Minister said the matter is still under investigation and RSIPF is working with relevant security agencies on limited information found onboard to know more about the vessels and its suspicious activity.
He said on 2nd August 2025, an abandoned narco-sub-vessel was found at Goveo village in Isabel province. About a month later on 4th October, a similar vessel was found at Forau village in Northeast Malaita.
Tanangada added that both vessels were attended and assessed by RSIPF, and although, no drugs, weapons, or any item related to illegal activities or drugs were found onboard the vessels, they were suspected of involvement in illicit activities.
Based on the findings, the Minister revealed that the RSIPF concluded that the vessels were highly likely to have been used for the transportation of illicit drugs.
“This is because the vessels were consistent with designs and features of narco-type- submarines, which have been used internationally for purpose of trading of illegal drugs,” he said.
In the meantime, Tanangada assured of ongoing investigation, while the ministry continues to liaise with regional and international partners on the matter.
“What we would like to actually arrive on the trace of it’s the origin and possible network linked to these discoveries.
“Our available information and leading evidence at the moment is only those ID cards that have been available,” he said.
In light of the discovery, the Minister emphasized the need for awareness in the provinces to encourage communities to report any unusual sighting of suspicious maritime activity in the communities, islands and country.
“This is the strategy we are working on to ensure our citizens are aware of an evolving security threat especially the presence of vessels or objects related to what illegal drug traffickers are using for transporting of illegal drugs.
“We are working on enhancing information sharing, collaboration between RSIPF and other law enforcement agencies in the region that work in the security sector for sharing information to support monitoring movements of vessel on our borders.
“We are also working to building capacity and resourcing support towards RSIPF’s maritime and transnational crime unit to strengthen monitoring, interdiction and investigative response capability given our country with big ocean space, is very expensive to maintain security,” Tanangada emphasized.
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