Empowering Regional Response: ASEANAPOL and Partners Advance Anti-Trafficking Agenda

The LIBERTERRA II Debriefing Meeting was successfully held in Hanoi, Vietnam, from 25 to 26 March 2025, bringing together 40 participants from 20 countries — including Vietnam, Lao PDR, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, India, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Indonesia, Myanmar, the Maldives, Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, China, and Nepal. Representatives from INTERPOL's Human Trafficking and Smuggling of Migrants (HTSM) Unit, the INTERPOL Financial Crime and Anti-Corruption Centre (IFCACC), the ASEANAPOL Secretariat, and the Regional Support Office (RSO) of the Bali Process were also in attendance.

INTERPOL’s HTSM Unit was represented by Mr. Adamou Liman Yahaya (Coordinator), Mr. Ha Duc Quang (Specialized Intelligence Officer), and Ms. Stephanie (Criminal Analyst), who presented the strategic activities carried out under Operation LIBERTERRA II. Conducted from 29 September to 4 October 2024, LIBERTERRA II was the largest global operation ever undertaken against human trafficking and migrant smuggling, involving 116 countries and territories in partnership with UNODC and the RSO of the Bali Process.   Key results of the operation included: 3,222 potential victims of human trafficking rescued; 17,793 irregular migrants identified; and 2,517 arrests made, including 850 directly linked to human trafficking or migrant smuggling offenses.

Operational coordination units were established in Argentina, Senegal, the Philippines, and North Macedonia, facilitating regional intelligence assessment and cooperation. The operation was supported by 15 specialized units from INTERPOL’s General Secretariat, national law enforcement agencies, international organizations, and NGOs — demonstrating unprecedented global solidarity.

On behalf of the Executive Director of the ASEANAPOL Secretariat, Senior Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Huu Ngoc, Director for Plans and Programmes, delivered a presentation outlining ASEANAPOL’s strategic vision for 2025 and beyond. He highlighted priority areas such as combating trafficking in persons (TIP) and protecting vulnerable populations, countering cyber fraud associated with TIP and forced criminality, strengthening criminal analysis and frontline policing capabilities, developing advanced criminal databases to enhance information sharing within ASEAN and globally, and promoting forensic science collaboration among member countries. He also introduced two key action plans:  A regional initiative to dismantle scam centers involved in TIP and forced criminality; and A collaborative effort with the Korean National Police Agency for the rollout of the I-Narae platform, which aims to block and remove Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) from the internet.

He reaffirmed ASEANAPOL’s strong commitment to working closely with its Dialogue Partners, Observers, and like-minded organizations to advance collective regional security goals. The meeting also featured country reports on the outcomes of Operation LIBERTERRA II, showcasing national multidisciplinary efforts, best practices, and lessons learned. Participants exchanged recommendations to enhance national and international cooperation in future operations.

The two-day debriefing concluded with a resounding commitment from INTERPOL, ASEAN member countries, ASEANAPOL, the RSO of the Bali Process, UNODC, and other partners to actively support Operation LIBERTERRA III, set to launch in the second and third quarters of 2025.  “Together, we keep this region safe!”