Bandar Seri Begawan - "We are part of a global village and crime has taken on a global dimension. Technological advantages that support ease of travel, communications and business transactions also allow transnational crimes to evolve and `flourish'."

Speaking at the opening of the 2nd Working Group Meeting of Tripartite Police Force on Standard Operational Procedure (SOP) RBPF, INP & RMP, Director of Criminal Investigation Department, Royal Brunei Police Force, ACP Pg Hj Abd Wahab Pg Hj Omar, said that crime prevention by one law enforcement agency on its own will not be sufficient to fight transnational crimes.

He said the prevention, suppression and eradication of transnational crimes require the consolidated efforts of the enforcement agencies in the region to fight criminal threats and ensure the security and safety of all the countries and people in the region.

He highlighted the close and long-standing relationships in law enforcement cooperation where the strong networks and close connections between the region's police forces have become fundamental factors in determining their success in combating crimes.

"With the spirit of cooperation in tackling regional security issues, the first Tripartite Meeting between the Chiefs of Police, the Royal Malaysia Police (RMP), the Royal Brunei Police Force (RBPF) and the Indonesia National Police (INP) was held on January 22-24, 2009 and was hosted by Kuching, Malaysia."

Amongst the objectives of the meeting was to implement a Joint Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to maintain cross-border security and prevent transnational crimes, thus the outcome of the meeting created the working group committee that formulates the SOP to cover areas such as operations and intelligence gathering.

Also it aimed to enhance cooperation in intelligence exchanges to enable collaboration between enforcement agencies. In addition, the three police forces agreed to conduct joint patrols along the Indonesia-Malaysia and Brunei-Malaysia borders to prevent transnational crimes.

He said the formation of the working group signifies the strong commitments of the police organisations to ensure the formulation of the SOP can be implemented in the very near future.

The unique challenge in combating transnational crimes is that every country has its own laws and law enforcement procedures to deal with transnational crimes, he added. This is another reason for the establishment of the working group.

The next two days will enable the delegates to the meeting to agree on a common understanding for effective implementation of the SOP soon.

"It is hoped that the formulation of the SOP will give a message to those who attempt to exploit our national boundaries that we speak with one voice and there is no place for criminals to try to flout the laws in our countries," ACP Pg Hj Abd Wahab said. The meeting yesterday took place at Kiulap Plaza Hotel.-- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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