VBSS course for foreign defence partners | Daily News

VBSS course for foreign defence partners

A Visit Board Search and Seizure (VBSS) Course for the Coast Guard, Police and Customs officials of Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines, commenced at the Special Boat Squadron (SBS) Headquarters in Trincomalee, recently.

The opening address of the course was held in the presence of Captain Aruna Weerasinghe, the Commanding Officer Special Boat Squadron, as well as the Maritime Law Enforcement mentors from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Programme.

The two-week-long course, organised for the third time by the Navy in coordination with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Programme, is attended by 20 officials from these countries.

Accordingly, eight Customs officials from Indonesia, eight Coast Guard officers from Malaysia, two Coast Guard and two Police officers from the Philippines are attending the third VBSS Course. During the course, participants are expected to hone their knowledge mainly on drug identification, drug transferring methods as well as planning, preparation and boarding procedures.

Making the world safer from drugs, crimes and terrorism, the UNODC is a global leader in the fight against such activities and is mandated to assist member states in their struggle against illicit drugs, drug trafficking, maritime crime, terrorism and human trafficking.

The Special Boat Squadron is a key player which has gained a wealth of knowledge and experiences in dealing with VBSS tasks on board ships and crafts.


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