From 3 to 7 February 2025, the Online Training Program on Anti-Smuggling was conducted by the Turkish National Police in collaboration with the Turkish International Academy Against Drugs and Organized Crime (TADOC). This initiative aimed to enhance the capabilities of law enforcement personnel in combating smuggling activities, particularly among ASEANAPOL Member
Countries. The training was conducted virtually, providing participants with specialized investigative techniques and intelligence-sharing strategies to counter transnational smuggling networks effectively. Approximately 30 participants attended the training, representing various ASEANAPOL Member Countries.
The Turkish National Police has been a Dialogue Partner of ASEANAPOL since 2014, consistently offering capacity-building programs to strengthen law enforcement efforts against transnational crime. This training program was also a result of the Courtesy Call made on 29 April 2024 by ASEANAPOL Secretariat's Executive Director, Police Colonel David Martinez Vinluan, along with other ASEANAPOL officers, to His Excellency Emir Salim Yüksel, Ambassador of Turkey. The meeting emphasized the need for closer cooperation between ASEANAPOL and Turkey, particularly in law enforcement training and intelligence sharing.
TADOC, established in 2000 by the Turkish National Police in partnership with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), is recognized for its expertise in law enforcement training. To date, it has conducted over 565 international training programs, benefiting more than 10,811 officers from 92 countries. This Anti-Smuggling training program was structured into key modules, including customs procedures, fuel smuggling investigations, illicit trade in excise goods, open-source intelligence (OSINT), profiling techniques, and interrogation strategies. The training was interactive, featuring case studies, scenario-based discussions, and a dedicated Q&A session with expert instructors.
The instructors for this program included Volkan IŞIK (4th Degree Police Chief), İbrahim GEZER (Chief Inspector), Tahsin ÇELİK (Chief Inspector), Ahmet Selçuk KASAPOĞLU (Chief Inspector), İlker UZAL (Inspector), Mustafa AY (Inspector), and Ziya YILDIRIM (Police Officer). Their expertise covered various aspects of smuggling investigations, ensuring that participants received practical and actionable knowledge to apply in real-world operations.
This online training program aimed to enhance investigative proficiency, strengthen international cooperation, promote intelligence-sharing best practices, and support interagency collaboration in combating smuggling-related financial and security threats. By equipping ASEANAPOL officers with advanced anti-smuggling strategies, this initiative underscores TADOC’s commitment to global crime prevention and capacity-building. Law enforcement agencies interested in similar training programs are encouraged to coordinate with ASEANAPOL and TADOC for future participation.
"Together We Keep This Region Safe"