10 June 2008
PACIFIC CRIME COORDINATION CENTRE OPENS IN SAMOA
The Minister for Home Affairs Bob Debus will open the Pacific Transnational Crime Coordination Centre (PTCCC) in Apia, Samoa which will coordinate and analyse criminal intelligence data in the Pacific region.
“The Australian Federal Police have invested heavily in supporting law enforcement in the Pacific region to combat crime and be self sufficient.
“The PTCCC is a vital component of this joint policing approach and provides a central point for the exchange of criminal intelligence, not only between Pacific nations, but also the wider international law enforcement community.
The PTCCC and the TCU network is a key strategy to address crime risks offshore.
“The AFP’s engagement in the Pacific is a long term commitment focussed on tackling issues like the transportation of narcotics, people smuggling and child sex tourism.”
The PTCCC was first opened in Fiji in 2004, bringing together law enforcement, customs and immigration agencies from across the Pacific to tackle transnational crime.
It has been relocated to Samoa to provide a better resourced base for the network of Transnational Crime Units in various Pacific nations.
Samoan Police Commissioner and chair of the PTCCC Board of Management, Loranese Neru said intelligence gathered by the centre is used to target and profile organised crime groups.
The PTCCC is led by an officer from the Tongan Police Force and staffed by Pacific Island law enforcement officers from Fiji, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea and Samoa.
An AFP adviser will mentor the officers for the first 12 months.
Media Contact: Samantha Wills 0448721372