PNP to present paper on transnational crime in Asean confab

Albayalde said part of the PNP’s document is the country’s efforts to strengthen international cooperation with other police forces in the Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) against transnational syndicates. (PNA file photo by Joey O. Razon)

MANILA — Gen. Oscar Albayalde, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, will present the country’s paper on current transnational crime concerns during the 39th Asean Association of Chiefs of Police (AseanAPOL) Conference in Hanoi, Vietnam on Sept. 16-20 this year.

Albayalde said part of the PNP’s document is the country’s efforts to strengthen international cooperation with other police forces in the Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) against transnational syndicates.

He said a 20-member PNP delegation will attend sessions of the three Conference Commissions.

Among topics to be discussed are Illicit drug trafficking, terrorism, arms smuggling, trafficking in persons, maritime fraud, commercial crime, cybercrime, fraudulent travel documents, transnational fraud, AseanAPOL database system, mutual assistance on criminal matters, exchange of personnel and training programs, and the AseanAPOL forensic science network.

At the sidelines of the conference, Albayalde said the PNP contingent will hold bilateral meetings with the United Kingdom National Crime Agency and the Australian Federal Police.

The 39th AseanAPOL will be attended by official delegations from the Royal Brunei Police Force, Cambodian National Police, Indonesian National Police, Lao People’s Democratic Republic General Department of Police, Royal Malaysia Police, Myanmar Police Force, Philippine National Police, Singapore Police Force, Royal Thai Police, and the host agency, Socialist Republic of Vietnam Police.

Also attending are observer and dialogue partner delegations from Fiji, Timor Leste, National Crime Agency of the United Kingdom, International Association of Chiefs of Police, International Committee of the Red Cross, US Federal Bureau of Investigation, Asean Secretariat, ICPO-INTERPOL, Australian Federal Police, National Police Agency of Japan, New Zealand Police, Ministry of Public Security of the People’s Republic of China, EUROPOL, Russia, Turkey, and the National Police Agency of Republic of Korea.

Meanwhile, Lt. Gen. Archie Francisco Gamboa, PNP Deputy Chief for Operations, is designated PNP officer-in-charge while the Albayalde is on official mission.

In May 2014, the PNP hosted the 34th AseanAPOL Conference in Manila.

The Philippines is a founding member of the AseanAPOL.

The 1st AseanAPOL Conference was also held in Manila in 1981.