© UNODC

Capturing and disarming a vessel that has been taken over by a criminal gang is not a scenario most police officers regularly face. But for Indonesia, a nation located along many of the world’s most important shipping routes, fighting maritime crime is high on the peace and security agenda. With support from UNODC, Indonesia regularly conducts anti-crime exercises at sea to build the capacity of its Marine Police.

“We need to stay vigilant and continuously train our teams to ensure maritime safety and security in Indonesian waters,” said Chief Police Commissioner Toni Ariadi Effendi, Director of Marine Police for North Sumatra Province. In November and December 2022, 16 officers from Marine Police Departments across the country participated in a two-week Visit, Board, Search and Seizure (VBSS) training course organized by UNODC GMCP in the waters near Medan on the Strait of Malacca – the main shipping channel between the Indian and the Pacific Oceans. 

Officers from the Marine Police sharpened their skills and strengthened their knowledge of conducting safe boarding operations, drills, search procedures, crime scene management, evidence collection, crew management, defensive tactics, interviews, and arrest and handover procedures.

The course off the coast of Medan was one of nine such training exercises UNODC and the Marine Police conducted in 2022, as part of the larger programme to support Indonesian law enforcement agencies in combatting maritime crime.

“As new officers take on important roles in the Marine Police, it is important that police forces in Indonesia remain one step ahead of the criminals at sea,” said Fatimana Agustinanto, Programme Manager for the UNODC Global Maritime Crime Programme in Indonesia. “We support this effort by promoting knowledge exchange on international best practices and through training programmes.”