Solomon Islands

People

Solomon Islands is a source, transit and destination country for human trafficking, which is deeply intertwined with the logging, fishing, palm oil and mining industries that use foreign workers from Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Sri Lanka and Fiji as forced labour. Some Chinese people may also be coerced into forced labour through deceptive employment schemes. Women from South East Asia are frequently lured to the country under false pretences of legitimate work, only to be forced into commercial sex upon arrival. Children in Solomon Islands are particularly vulnerable to labour and sex trafficking, as highlighted in a 2024 report that found widespread child labour, sexual exploitation and hazardous working conditions, especially near foreign logging camps, fishing vessels and entertainment establishments. Some parents reportedly engage in informal adoption practices that ultimately lead to forced labour or sexual servitude. The cultural practice of ‘bride-price’ is also sometimes manipulated to exploit women and girls for economic gain, particularly through forced marriages to foreign workers.

Compared to other illicit markets, human smuggling is relatively limited in Solomon Islands. However, fraudulent recruitment agencies bring in Asian victims who later find themselves working in exploitative conditions. The legal and enforcement frameworks do not distinguish between human trafficking and human smuggling, which further complicates state responses to these crimes.

There is no significant evidence of extortion or protection racketeering in Solomon Islands. Accounts from the early 2000s mention instances of these crimes, but contemporary accounts suggest that monopolies over illicit activities are largely maintained through corruption rather than organized violence.

Trade

The arms trafficking market in Solomon Islands is minimal, with some historical records documenting small-scale arms smuggling between Bougainville (Papua New Guinea) and the western Solomon Islands. The country has low levels of gun ownership, largely due to the weapon surrender initiatives following the civil conflict. Any reports of illicit firearms typically stem from leakage within official stocks rather than mass imports.

The trade in counterfeit goods is not uncommon, with various forms of counterfeit and replica products available across retail outlets, online platforms and local services. Asian-owned businesses, particularly pharmacies and hardware stores, are frequently linked to counterfeit products, such as pharmaceutical goods, tools and auto parts. The production of counterfeit alcoholic beverages, in particular the local drink kwaso is also present in the country.

The illicit trade of excise goods in the Solomon Islands appears limited, with available evidence largely anecdotal or historical, suggesting it is not a widespread issue.

Environment

In Solomon Islands, illegal logging is a pervasive and profitable criminal market for both domestic and foreign actors. Most logging activities take place outside designated zones, including protected areas, and far exceed sustainable harvesting limits. Solomon Islands is the second largest supplier of tropical logs to China after Papua New Guinea. Foreign-owned companies, mainly from China, Malaysia and Singapore, exert significant influence over the industry, often bypassing national regulations through local intermediaries. Corrupt officials allegedly accept bribes to enable unauthorized operations, further entrenching illegal logging within the economy.

Solomon Islands has a well-developed market for illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. Foreign fleets from China, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea and Vietnam exploit the country’s extensive exclusive economic zone (EEZ) using methods, such as dynamite fishing and compressor diving, in their illicit operations. Asian markets drive the demand for tuna, sharks, sea cucumbers and giant clams. The illegal trade in birds, turtles and other wildlife further contributes to biodiversity loss.

Non-renewable resource crimes, particularly illegal mining, have grown in importance in Solomon Islands. Foreign companies, mainly from China, Malaysia and Indonesia, illegally extract gold, while logging companies have begun transitioning into mining operations. Corruption at multiple levels of government, reportedly through manipulating documents and bribes, enables illegal mining operations to continue. The illicit mining has led to environmental degradation, land disputes and social unrest.

Drugs

In Solomon Islands, cannabis is the most widely used illicit drug, but consumption is minimal and predominantly by young males. Domestic cultivation appears to supply most of the demand, with little evidence of large-scale trafficking. In recent years, law enforcement has destroyed cannabis plantations in the Central Makira-Ulawa Province.

The synthetic drug market remains underdeveloped but shows signs of potential expansion. Recent law enforcement operations detected crystal methamphetamine and ketamine, particularly in East Honiara, raising concerns about emerging domestic consumption and trafficking networks. The country is primarily a transit point for synthetic drugs destined for Australia and New Zealand.

The cocaine trade is similarly limited, although transnational criminal organizations have increased their presence in the Pacific region. Solomon Islands is vulnerable to exploitation as a transit point due to its weak law enforcement capacity and vast maritime borders. Organized crime groups from China, South America, Mexico, Australia and New Zealand have been linked to regional cocaine trafficking, using air and sea routes,

The heroin trade in Solomon Islands is virtually non-existent, with no substantial domestic demand or evidence of significant trafficking routes.

Cyber-dependent crimes

The market for cyber-dependent crimes in Solomon Islands is virtually absent, largely due to limited digital infrastructure and minimal use of online financial services. However, growing digital connectivity increases the risk of future cyber threats.

Financial Crimes

Financial crimes in Solomon Islands are well established and include tax evasion, identity theft, phishing attacks and cyber-enabled fraud, as well as (less frequently) embezzlements. The country’s Financial Intelligence Unit has investigated several financial crimes, including online scams and pyramid schemes, but enforcement capacity is weak due to resource constraints that hinder effective prosecution. Corruption further exacerbates the issue. Counterfeit currency operations have also been reported, with an increase in counterfeit banknotes entering circulation since 2021.

Criminal Actors

There is no concrete evidence of mafia-style organized crime groups operating in Solomon Islands. Comprehensive data is limited, but the presence of domestic criminal networks is inferred by the expansion of illicit trade and various criminal activities. These networks often form within local communities or hybrid indigenous groups, rather than operate as fully structured entities that dominate criminal markets, and reportedly engage in drug distribution, environmental crimes and smuggling. They frequently collaborate with external criminal entities, particularly in transnational crime operations, leveraging corruption, intimidation and strategic partnerships. The criminal networks operate in the logging, mining and fishing sectors, where they take advantage of regulatory weaknesses and inadequate enforcement mechanisms.

Corrupt state-embedded actors, including political actors, are particularly influential and facilitate a range of illicit activities in Solomon Islands, especially within the logging, fishing and mining sectors. Government officials are reportedly involved in conflicts of interest, abuse of power, bribery and fraudulent activities that enable local and foreign actors to exploit natural resources and engage in illicit trade. State actors have also been implicated in facilitating irregular migration and human trafficking, particularly for forced labour and sexual exploitation.

Foreign actors exert considerable influence over criminal markets within the resource extraction sectors in Solomon Islands. Chinese and other Asian-owned enterprises dominate illicit logging, mining and fishing operations, with Malaysian companies playing a major role in illegal logging. Some foreign entities have also been linked to human trafficking and smuggling, particularly for forced labour and sexual exploitation. Interaction between foreign actors and local communities is moderate compared to regional standards, but some community leaders provide services that sustain illicit operations. There are allegations that foreign enterprises may engage in political financing to secure favourable conditions, but no prosecutions have been reported. Criminal actors from neighbouring Papua New Guinea, particularly raskol gangs, are involved in illicit markets in Solomon Islands. These loose, opportunistic networks engage in trafficking, smuggling and environmental crimes, operating mostly around logging camps, urban centres and the maritime border with Bougainville. However, they lack a rigid command structure and struggle to maintain a stable membership.

The perception of corruption in the business sector in Solomon Islands is among the highest in the region. Private-sector actors facilitate corruption and illicit activities, particularly in the logging, fishing and mining industries, and have been implicated in money-laundering schemes, often using import-export businesses as fronts for illicit financial transactions. In addition to being directly involved in corruption, some businesses have been linked to drug trafficking operations.

Leadership and governance

Despite some progress in reducing political fragility, Solomon Islands continues to face governance and political instability challenges. Clientelism is deeply embedded in governance structures, and the electoral system, which is characterized by weak party structures and small vote margins, fosters personalized politics, allowing political leaders to distribute government resources in exchange for loyalty. Centralized decision-making has contributed to a rural-urban divide, with rural communities often feeling excluded from governance decisions. Although the government has acknowledged the presence of criminal markets, political rhetoric has not translated into effective policies due to resource constraints and competing priorities.

Government transparency and accountability remain weak, and corruption is present across multiple sectors. Senior government officials, including in the judiciary, fisheries, mining and forestry authorities, have been implicated in bribery and fraud. Transparency initiatives, such as publishing government budgets and procurement contracts online, have been implemented but are not strongly enforced. Recent investigative reports have raised concerns over high-profile figures amassing wealth through opaque financial dealings. Although the current administration has introduced minor transparency measures, systemic corruption continues to undermine governance.

Solomon Islands is a signatory to key international conventions, including the UN Convention against Corruption and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, and actively participates in transnational crime investigations through initiatives, such as the Pacific Transnational Crime Network. Since 2017, its National Central Bureau in Honiara has supported efforts to combat global organized crime by providing intelligence to INTERPOL. Despite these commitments, Solomon Islands has not yet ratified the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime or aligned its domestic laws to evolving international standards. Regional cooperation remains a priority. Solomon Islands has bilateral agreements with regional counterparts, such as Papua New Guinea and Fiji, and recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Fiji’s anti-corruption body. The country receives development assistance from multiple international partners, including China, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, the US and Indonesia, and hosts the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency which fights against IUU fishing.

Solomon Islands is reactive rather than proactive in passing legislation, and its legal framework on transnational organized crime is underdeveloped. In addition to not signing key international conventions, the country’s Penal Code of 1978 has seen minimal updates. Although efforts have been made to modernize legislation, such as amending the human trafficking and anti-corruption legal frameworks, many critical draft bills remain stalled.

Criminal justice and security

Challenges facing the justice system in Solomon Islands include limited judicial resources, financial constraints and a geographically dispersed population. The shortage of judges and funding has led to case backlogs, delays in hearings and growing public distrust in the judiciary. Legal proceedings are costly and inaccessible for many rural residents because access to justice is concentrated in Honiara and a few provincial centres. As a result, informal community-based mechanisms, often led by local chiefs or church leaders, are the main recourse for resolving disputes. The penitentiary system has not raised human rights concerns, and the Constitution guarantees protections against arbitrary arrest and detention. People have the right to challenge their detention in court, a safeguard generally upheld by the government. However, systemic inefficiencies lead to prolonged pretrial detention, with detainees comprising half of the prison population and facing an average waiting period of approximately two years before trial.

Underfunding and the lack of personnel constrain law enforcement in Solomon Islands. Despite significant foreign assistance, including training and equipment from Australia, China and New Zealand, the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) is stretched thin and struggles to address growing crime rates and unresolved cases. Although the force participates in intelligence-sharing initiatives, such as the Pacific Transnational Crime Network, operational inefficiencies continue to hamper enforcement capacity. The absence of an annual police report since 2018 reflects broader transparency issues.

Territorial integrity remains a challenge due to the country's vast EEZ and limited maritime monitoring capacity. Weak border controls have contributed to the increase in illicit activities, including drug trafficking and illegal fishing. Despite regional cooperation efforts, Solomon Islands remains vulnerable to organized crime networks that exploit its porous borders. The country is also vulnerable to growing cyber threats due to persistent infrastructural limitations that constrain cyber capabilities. Nonetheless, authorities have signalled both the need and the commitment to address these risks by developing a National Cybercrime Policy and related legislation.

Economic and financial environment

Solomon Islands has regulatory gaps and weak enforcement mechanisms for combating money laundering. The country’s Financial Intelligence Unit, which is housed within the Central Bank of Solomon Islands, lacks operational independence and has technical deficiencies. However, its capacity was recently strengthened through increasing staffing levels. Major money-laundering risks stem from corruption-related funds, illicit logging and IUU fishing profits. The Janus Task Force was established to investigate fraud, bribery and corruption within the public sector, but investigations into financial crimes are rare. National banks are under-supervised for anti-money laundering (AML) compliance, although the country participates in regional AML initiatives, through cooperation with the regional Anti-Money Laundering Technical Expert Group (AMLTEG), among others, and enforcement is inconsistent.

Government regulatory oversight is limited, particularly in the high-risk industries of fisheries, forestry and mining. There is some government monitoring in the financial sector, but public institutions remain highly vulnerable to exploitation by criminal actors. The economy is fragile and relies heavily on subsistence agriculture and extractive industries. Limited formal employment opportunities, the lack of targeted development programmes and high youth unemployment rates contribute to socio-economic instability that increases vulnerability to criminal activities.

Civil society and social protection

Victim and witness support mechanisms in Solomon Islands are minimal. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and foreign aid provide the majority of services, as the government allocates very little funding to victim assistance. The country has no national referral mechanism for victims of human trafficking, and access to support services is limited outside of the capital. Legal assistance and welfare support for victims involved in criminal investigations are largely unavailable, and foreign victims rarely use temporary residence permits due to lengthy legal processes and fear of retaliation. A lack of comprehensive procedures for identifying victims further hinders protection efforts. In November 2024, UNICEF held a workshop to train Solomon Islands’ police and justice officials in child-friendly justice practices. The training focused on child rights, protection and sensitive policing, supporting broader legislative reforms to strengthen child protection and safeguard children’s welfare within the justice system.

Crime prevention strategies exist on paper but are largely unimplemented due to resource limitations. Recent preventative measures include the RSIPF’s introduction of a new crime prevention strategy for 2023–2027 and engagement in regional initiatives to combat cybercrime, human trafficking and environmental crimes. However, enforcement of these initiatives is inconsistent, and government outreach programmes are limited, especially in the high-risk sectors of logging and mining.

Non-state actors play a crucial role in providing essential services and advocating for transparency. Churches, customary land-owning groups, and civil society organizations fill service delivery gaps, particularly through education, health and youth programmes. Women-led advocacy movements have been instrumental in highlighting illegal logging and land exploitation issues. However, NGOs have faced legal action related to political protests, raising concerns about government restrictions on activism. Press freedom in Solomon Islands is generally upheld, despite concerns about potential government influence over media coverage. Certain broadcasters have reportedly faced government pressure to alter coverage, and foreign journalists have been threatened with bans. Self-censorship among media outlets is reported, particularly concerning topics related to China’s influence in the country. The emergence of independent news platforms has contributed to investigative journalism, but their reach has been affected by digital censorship. Limited access to government documents further restricts transparency and public oversight.