Law enforcement officials across four Pacific Islands from Tonga, Palau, Papua New Guinea to Samoa participated in a multi-agency tabletop exercise to strengthen national and regional cooperation.

The exercise examined the intersections between different transnational actors and threat was held virtually across the four Pacific jurisdictions from 7-9 June.

In Nuku’alofa, Police Commissioner and PICP Chair, Shane McLennan opened the training with participants from Tonga Customs, Immigration, the Financial Intelligence Unit, Fisheries and Police. Present was the Director of Immigration Telesia Fakava Kaitapu.

The TTEX aimed to strengthen law enforcement leadership and collaboration at the national and regional level;

Enhance multi-agency responses to criminal/security threats as prioritised in the Boe Declaration focusing on transnational organised crime, cyber-crime and cyber enabled crime and explore money laundering and fisheries crime.

Police Commissioner McLennan told Matangi Tonga that the conduct of the Table Top Exercise is an essential way of identifying, what they do well and where they need further development, training and assistance.

“These exercises bring all of the key players and agencies together in an environment where it is okay to make mistakes and to take time to discuss various options, so that when it comes time to working together in the real world, we are all better placed to work cooperatively and achieve maximum results."

This is the second Table Top Exercise (TTEX) carried out by the Australia Pacific Security College in partnership with the Pacific Islands Chiefs of Police (PICP), Oceania Customs Office and the Pacific Immigration Development Community.