The Australian Federal Police (AFP) has stepped up its support for the Fiji Police Force, donating advanced digital forensic equipment to strengthen the country’s ability to investigate cybercrime and analyse electronic evidence.
The new machines were formally handed over in Suva by AFP Senior Liaison Officer Superintendent Grant Liddy to the Fiji Police’s Director of Criminal Investigations, Senior Superintendent Serupepeli Neiko.
The equipment is expected to enhance the Cyber Crime Unit’s capacity to conduct detailed examinations of seized digital devices as online offences continue to rise across the region.
The donation forms part of a broader partnership between the two agencies, which has included specialist training, the establishment of digital forensic laboratories and intelligence sharing. Their cooperation is underpinned by the Solesolevaki memorandum of understanding signed in 2025 to improve cross-border coordination and tackle transnational crime.
Last year in August, in a separate AFP-supported initiative funded through the Pacific Community for Law Enforcement Cooperation grant, Fiji’s Forensic Sciences Services also received new computer systems to improve the quality and processing of photographic evidence.
The computers were presented by Detective Superintendent Grant Liddy to Director of Forensics Senior Superintendent Margaret Marshall, who said the technology would strengthen investigative standards.
SSP Marshall conveyed Commissioner Rusiate Tudravu’s appreciation for Australia’s continued backing of Fiji’s forensic services, noting that the upgraded capability would also assist regional partners through the Pacific Policing Initiative.
This growing cooperation was cemented in March 2025 when then AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw and Fiji Police Commissioner Rusiate Tudravu signed a new memorandum of understanding in Suva. The agreement expands collaboration in priority crime areas, leadership development and corporate support.
Under the arrangement, AFP strategic advisers will be embedded within the Fiji Police Force to assist with intelligence, human resources and operational planning. Fiji has also committed to hosting a Regional Centre of Excellence in forensics under the Pacific Policing Initiative, aimed at delivering specialist training and operational support to police across the Pacific.
Last year in March, Commissioner Kershaw said the agreement marked a significant milestone in a partnership spanning more than two decades, with AFP officers long stationed in Fiji as liaison officials and advisers. Embedding strategic experts, he said, reflected a shared commitment to regional security.
Commissioner Tudravu described the formalised agreement as the beginning of a new chapter built on mutual respect and cooperation. He said both forces recognised that collective action was essential to address evolving security threats, particularly transnational crime, facing the Pacific region.
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