The Regional Support Office of the Bali Process (RSO) delivered training to 31 Indonesian National Police and immigration officers on 16 March, in partnership with the Jakarta Centre for Law Enforcement Cooperation (JCLEC). Participants shaped the session by sharing and feeding back on their own experiences through group discussions around different topics and case scenarios.
The training consisted of three sessions delivered by Eun Jun Yi, RSO Capacity Building and Training Programme Manager, Rifai Achyari, a member of the Indonesian National Police Task Force for the Eradication of Trafficking in Persons and an RSO Alumni, and Nahan Virgaliano, Attorney General Attaché with the Embassy of Indonesia in Thailand.
Throughout the training, participants tapped into the expertise of speakers by seeking advice on their own ongoing cases and situations involving victims of trafficking in persons and people smuggling.
Sessions included an overview of trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants, the investigation of trafficking in persons cases and examples of international cooperation in facilitating investigations.
Sukmo Yuwono, RSO Co-Manager (Indonesia) expressed thanks to JCLEC colleagues for their collaboration, the technical and translation support provided, and to participants for their active input and discussion.
RSO Capacity Building and Training Manager, Eun Jun Yi introduced the training with a general overview for participants on the concepts around transnational organised groups, and tactics employed by human traffickers, as well as studies on high-risk groups and an overview of relevant legal frameworks.
Rifai Achyari, RSO alumnus and member of the Indonesian Trafficking in Persons Taskforce discussed national laws, investigative processes and practices used by traffickers with real-life case studies, and law enforcement practices on managing trafficking in persons cases.
Lastly, Nahan Virgaliano, Attorney General Attaché with the Embassy of Indonesia in Thailand discussed international cooperation practices to address people smuggling and trafficking in persons. He noted that “building a network and knowing who to contact is crucial for effective international cooperation.” He also stressed that the role of immigration officers is significant in detecting and mitigating trafficking in persons as they must determine who is a victim and who is a perpetrator – a difficult task for practitioners.
Participans also noted the importance of collaboration between governments through embassies, law enforcement and immigration officials in tackling the constantly evolving nature and methods used by perpetrators of people smuggling and trafficking in persons.