Cebu City — the National Coast Watch Council, through its Secretariat, participated in the INTERPOL Project MAST: Regional Training on Maritime Crime Scene Investigation, from 28 January to 1 February 2019 at the Marco Polo Plaza Hotel, this city. This Canadian-funded training is part of an ongoing effort to address the transnational threat posed to security in Southeast Asia.

The INTERPOL is the world’s largest international police organization, with 194 member countries. Its role is to enable police around the world to work together to make the world a safer place. Its high-tech infrastructure of technical and operational support helps meet the growing challenges of fighting crime in the 21st century. The training aimed to enhance the capability of first responders and investigators from maritime law enforcement agencies to conduct investigations, respond to incidents at sea and improve regional cooperation. It consisted of presentations from the INTERPOL and US Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) resource speakers; an actual usage of an INTERPOL device; and boarding of a ship to simulate crime scene investigation. Participants from Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam actively participated throughout the