The Government has released a new all-of-government plan aimed at strengthening New Zealand’s response to transnational, serious and organised crime, describing the threat as increasingly sophisticated and harmful to communities.
Associate Police Minister Casey Costello said criminal groups are targeting New Zealand and the wider Pacific using new technologies and methods, requiring a more coordinated and forceful approach across government agencies.
The new strategy and action plan set out a series of cross-agency initiatives designed to improve accountability, boost information and data sharing, tackle methamphetamine-related harm and strengthen communities through resilience programmes.
Costello said organised crime fuels drug trafficking, scams, migrant exploitation and money laundering, driving violence and causing widespread social and economic damage, with the illicit drug trade alone estimated to cost $1.5 billion each year.
She said the Government is seeking a step-change in how agencies work together, following advice from a ministerial advisory group that identified fragmented governance and poor information sharing as major weaknesses. The aim, she said, is to make New Zealand one of the toughest places in the world for organised criminal groups to operate.
Image credit: Maxim Hopman
