ASEANAPOL Secretariat and Malta police force explore future cooperation　

The ASEANAPOL Secretariat held a virtual meeting with the Malta Police Force on 9 October 2026 to explore opportunities for strengthening international law enforcement cooperation in combating transnational crime.

The meeting was led by Police Senior Colonel Dr. Kongkrissada Kittithiraphong, Executive Director of ASEANAPOL, together with Police Senior Superintendent Huntal Tambunan, Director for Police Service, and Police Colonel Jean Mary Mangahis, Director for Plans and Programmes. The Malta Police Force was represented by Superintendent Mario Cuschieri.

Discussions focused on key areas of mutual interest, including cybercrime, financial crime, drug trafficking, human trafficking, and maritime crime. Both sides explored opportunities for information exchange, technical cooperation, capacity building, and sharing operational experiences.

The ASEANAPOL Secretariat highlighted its role in facilitating police cooperation among its 11 Member Countries and discussed potential engagement with the Malta Police Force through existing Observer and Dialogue Partner mechanisms, subject to relevant procedures and approvals.

The Malta Police Force will further consider these opportunities in consultation with its senior leadership and relevant authorities.

Both sides welcomed continued dialogue as a positive step towards strengthening cooperation between ASEAN and European law enforcement agencies in addressing evolving transnational crime threats.

Together, we keep this region safe.