Australian Embassy
Vietnam

Media Release - 20/5/2014

United Police Action to Combat People Smuggling and Human Trafficking

 

Police from 18 countries are joining together in Hanoi, Vietnam, to strengthen regional efforts to combat people smuggling and human trafficking.
Thanks to a long-term partnership between the Australian Federal Police, the Ministry of Public Security and RMIT University, 20 law enforcement officials from across the South and South East Asia region have been selected to participate in the 34th Asia Region Law Enforcement Management Program (ARLEMP) which begins in Hanoi today.

Speaking at the ARLEMP Opening Ceremony, the Australian Federal Police Assistant Commissioner for Operation Sovereign Borders, Steve Lancaster, announced: ‘Through collaborative action, police are able to apply maximum pressure in detecting and deterring people smugglers and human traffickers. By working together, we can more effectively target organised criminal networks and prevent crimes involving the irregular movement of people.’

Senior Colonel Nguyen Van Lan, Deputy Director for the Advisory Department, Police General Department on Crime Prevention and Suppression announced: ‘Vietnam joins the international community in condemning those people who are involved in smuggling and trafficking people. As a result, Vietnam is pleased to partner with Australia to provide an opportunity for police to work together to stop these crimes.’

Professor Gael McDonald, President of RMIT Vietnam also shared: ‘We are proud to continue to work with AFP and Vietnamese government in delivering this important transnational policing program. We have witnessed that during the three weeks of intense cooperative learning, participants raise their level of respect, mutual understanding, and their ability to collaborate across borders.’

In the past eight years, almost 700 police and law enforcement officials from 25 countries including South Asia, South East Asia and Australia have participated in ARLEMP, including over 200 Vietnamese police.

For more information, please contact:
Ms Pham Ha, [[email protected] and phone 04 37740204]