The Royal Solomon Islands Police Force, Customs, and Immigration, working with international partners, intercepted a shadowy cargo vessel suspected of transnational organized crime and brought it to Honiara, on Guadalcanal, for investigation. Authorities had tracked the ship since April on intelligence pointing to drug trafficking, tobacco smuggling, and other maritime crime.

The vessel, the Belize-flagged general cargo ship MV Wealth, was built in 2010 and reportedly sold in February 2026 under a new identity. Nineteen crew, believed to be from China, Indonesia, and the Philippines, were detained, though authorities could not verify all identities due to the absence of a legitimate crew manifest. The Australian Border Force and the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency were among the partners that had flagged the vessel.

Two support tenders linked to MV Wealth remain unaccounted for, with investigators concerned they may have moved illicit cargo elsewhere in the Pacific, including Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, and potentially Australia. RSIPF said the case underscores the evolving threat organized criminal networks pose to border security and regional stability.

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