Cocaine's Dark Tides: What Australia's Addiction Reveals About Our World The Australian government's recent pledge of $600 million to combat illicit drug smuggling in the Pacific is a sobering reminder that Australia's addiction to cocaine has serious implications for regional and global stability.
Between January 2025 and this year, authorities have seized 17 tonnes of illicit drugs, mostly cocaine, a significant increase from less than five tonnes in all of 2025.
Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett describes the surge in trafficking as a "serious national security threat" for the Pacific and Australia.