ABF and AFP Study Tour

Police, Customs, and Immigration agent officers are welcomed by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and Australian Border Force (ABF) during a visit to Australia recently.

During the visit, the delegation observed interagency cooperation to detect and respond to criminal threats at the borders and measures in place to aid investigation and prosecution of offenders.

The delegation visited several operational locations in Brisbane, including the Australian Centre for Countering Child Exploitation, AFP Airport Uniformed Policing, the International Airport, the ABF Container Examination Facility, and the International Mail Gateway.

A tour of the development and coordination hub and police training centre in Pinkenba, Brisbane, showcased the Pacific-led initiative, designed to strengthen policing capacity and coordination in the region.

The trip included a demonstration of narcotic substance detection, resulting in a live drug detection at Brisbane International Mail Gateway. The delegation saw firsthand the testing procedures utilized by ABF, resulting in the positive detection and the subsequent referral to the AFP for further investigation.

The delegation said they were impressed by the capabilities and cooperation demonstrated by ABF and AFP and the interagency efforts to deter, detect, and disrupt those who may be involved in all forms of border-related crime.

Delegation representatives said the study tour significantly contributed to knowledge transfer and capacity-building in key areas such as irregular migration, community welfare, biosecurity, border control, cargo/container examination, and interagency collaboration, and that they are keen to formalize these learnings into Solomon Islands' operational practices.

Australia continues its commitment to supporting the Solomon Islands in securing its borders and managing the threat of transnational serious organized crime, illicit imports of prohibited or regulated goods, trade-based money laundering, revenue evasion, child exploitation and abuse, and human trafficking in the Pacific.