Meeting with Freeland on ASEANAPOL Cooperation in Countering Wildlife Trafficking

Meeting with Freeland on ASEANAPOL Cooperation in Countering Wildlife Trafficking

The meeting between the ASEANAPOL Secretariat and Freeland was held on 4 May 2026 at the ASEANAPOL Secretariat Office in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The meeting was attended by Police Senior Colonel Dr. Kongkrissada Kittithiraphong, Executive Director of the ASEANAPOL Secretariat, together with the Directors and officers of the Secretariat, and representatives from Freeland led by Pol.Maj. Gen. Petcharat Saengchai, Executive Director, and Mr. Ricardo Forrester, Deputy Director. 

The meeting provided an opportunity to reaffirm the long-standing cooperation between ASEANAPOL and Freeland in combating wildlife trafficking and related transnational organized crime. Freeland briefed the Secretariat on its ongoing initiatives, including the TRIPOD Project, counter-wildlife trafficking border task forces, regional training programmes, Special Investigation Groups, and planned Trafficking-Free Enterprise workshops in Vietnam, Malaysia, and Laos. 

Freeland also shared key operational approaches, including open-source intelligence, digital forensics, controlled delivery, informant handling, financial investigation, and inter-agency cooperation. Previous collaboration has contributed to the identification and disruption of wildlife trafficking networks, strengthened cross-border information sharing, and enhanced cooperation among participating ASEAN Member Countries. 

During the discussion, ASEANAPOL reaffirmed its coordinating role and emphasized the importance of balanced and inclusive participation among ASEAN Member Countries. The meeting also discussed future participation under the TRIPOD Project, particularly the continued inclusion of Thailand in future phases and related activities. 

The meeting concluded positively, with both ASEANAPOL and Freeland reaffirming their commitment to further strengthening regional capabilities, operational coordination, and practical cooperation in countering wildlife trafficking and transnational organized crime across the region.