Vol. 77, No. 3News notes

Securing Southeast Asian borders

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Some three billion people travel internationally each year and only a third of those are screened through INTERPOL's databases, due to lack of technology in many countries.

But now law enforcement agencies in nine Southeast Asian countries can better secure their borders thanks to a Canadian-backed INTERPOL operation that gives them the skills and tools needed to target terrorists, bolster border security and pursue international fugitives.

Last March's Operation Sunbird was the culmination of more than a year's worth of training given by INTERPOL to police from Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.

Over the span of a week, security officials published notices for fugitives and screened more than 500,000 passports against INTERPOL databases at air, land and sea border points in those nine countries. This led to the arrest of two international criminals. Sixteen other travellers were flagged for criminal activity.

Cst. Ross Cameron, an investigator with INTERPOL Ottawa and an officer with the Ontario Provincial Police, was one of four Canadians recruited to help with the operation.

Cameron was on the ground for several weeks in Brunei and Singapore, working as a subject matter expert helping train more than 100 local police officers in investigative skills and tools for combating terrorism.

"The idea is that the training we provide cascades out," says Cameron. "Once the operation stops, it's not that the activity stops, it's just that they're out of the nest working on their own."

In operations like this, INTERPOL provides technology to developing countries, including passport readers and connections to INTERPOL databases.

"From an altruistic perspective, we're able to lend support and expertise to these countries to help enhance their policing capacity," says Cameron. "And from a Canadian perspective, we build networks and relationships that increase our visibility in other countries."

Mark Mulligan, an investigative analyst and project manager with INTERPOL Ottawa, provided satellite support to Cameron from Ottawa. He says the skills taught by experts such as Cameron can be applied to many facets of law enforcement around the world.

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