Enhancing Southeast Asian Ability To Respond To Terrorist Threats Focus Of INTERPOL Exercise

Representatives from counter-terrorism and maritime security units took part in an INTERPOL counter-terrorism table-top exercise aimed at enhancing coordination and strengthening their capability to respond to terrorist-related threats in the East ASEAN Growth Area.

The four-day meeting (7 – 10 March) gathered 21 officers from 18 law enforcement agencies in four countries – Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines – to foster information sharing on emerging terrorist threats and trends.

Scenarios addressed throughout the table-top exercise provided countries with the opportunity to enhance their understanding of local, national and regional policies and procedures; identify limitations and challenges; and propose complementary standard operating procedures to bridge operational gaps.

The meeting, co-hosted by INTERPOL and the Royal Malaysia Police, was supported by the Canadian Government as part of the INTERPOL Capacity Building Programme on Countering Transnational Terrorism and Other Security Threats in Southeast Asia.

The programme provides ASEAN law enforcement agencies with the opportunity to develop and adopt a coordinated and proactive approach in addressing the challenges of terrorism.