ASEANAPOL Engages in Stakeholder Roundtable on Foreign Criminal Influence in Malaysia

Held in Putrajaya, the roundtable featured the presentation of GI-TOC’s latest research highlighting the rise of foreign criminal influence and the associated risks of state instrumentalization of illicit channels. The GI-TOC delegation was led by Ms. Louise Taylor, Director – Asia and the Pacific & ECO-SOLVE Lead, along with Mr. Alastair MacBeath and Mr. Martin Thorley, who shared expert perspectives on transnational organized crime trends and the importance of multistakeholder engagement.

The event was attended by key enforcement and regulatory agencies from Malaysia, including representatives from the Royal Malaysia Police’s Narcotics, Cybercrime, and Counter-Terrorism Divisions, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commissio n (MACC), the Malaysia Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA), and the Royal Malaysia Customs Department. These agencies contributed valuable insights on operational challenges, interagency coordination, and current enforcement gaps.

The Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC) is an independent civil society organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, with a regional headquarters in Bangkok, Thailand. GI-TOC works globally to strengthen the political and institutional response to organized crime through research, policy engagement, and multilateral dialogue. Its initiatives in Southeast Asia—including mapping criminal economies, exposing illicit networks, and building community resilience—align closely with ASEANAPOL’s mission. GI-TOC’s continued collaboration with ASEANAPOL and its Member Countries contributes significantly to evidence-based policy development and regional security coordination.

Representing the ASEANAPOL Secretariat’s Executive Director, Police Colonel David Martinez Vinluan, the Secretariat’s delegate reaffirmed ASEANAPOL’s commitment to enhancing regional cooperation in countering transnational organized crime. Executive Director Vinluan emphasized the importance of maximizing collaboration, information exchange, and multilateral partnerships through ASEAN’s unified ASEANAPOL platform, which remains the region’s cornerstone mechanism in promoting police cooperation and addressing cross-border criminal threats.

Key themes explored during the roundtable included cyber-enabled crimes, illicit trade networks, corruption, and institutional vulnerabilities. The session also identified opportunities for regional policy harmonization, cross-border collaboration, and inclusive dialogue involving civil society and law enforcement agencies alike.

https://tiktok.com/@aseanapol?_t=8jSYhy4nN2u&_r=1\