Tonga's Assistant Police Commander 'Unga Fa'aoa graduated with a Masters degree in Transnational Organized Crime Prevention from the University of Wollongong, Australia, on December 15, 2009.

'Unga (44) is the first Tongan Police Officer to attain such a university degree. He was awarded a one-year postgraduate course at the University of Wollongong's Faculty of Law, starting on May 2008.

'Unga appreciated the opportunity to complete his degree and said that trans-national crimes is a threat to world peace, and Tonga is no exception.

He said that small island countries have weak law enforcement, due to lack of resources and trained personnel, making them vulnerable to become transit points for transnational crime units in transiting their illicit products.

"Our fear is that we (Tonga) may become a production centre for these crimes, such as drug trafficking, and money laundering, therefore it is vital that we address our weaknesses," said the Assistant Police Commander.

'Unga said that the last time transnational crime surfaced in Nuku'alofa was in September when the police seized a shipment of the illicit drug methamphetamine. It was the largest drug seizure containing 32-litres crystallized into 17 kilos, worth well over $10 million pa'anga.

"So it is vital for countries to work together in exchanging important information so as to combat transnational crimes," he said.

'Unga entered the Tonga Police Force in 1985 as a Police Constable. He achieved a Diploma in Law from the University of the South Pacific Tonga campus in 1992, and an LLB law degree from the University of the South Pacific Vanuatu Law Campus in 1998. The following year he continued to the USP Suva Campus for his Diploma on Profession in Legal Practice.