Male, 7 April 2022 - In recent years, there has been a significant increase in cases of people from South Asian countries, including Sri Lanka, undertaking a hazardous journey across the Darien Gap – one of the world's most dangerous routes.
Migrants typically transit through the Gulf region and Africa, with the goal of reaching South or Central America and the Caribbean to ultimately travel to the United States and Canada.
Over the past six months, the STARSOM project supported targeted capacity building in the Maldives and Sri Lanka to better equip practitioners from the two countries to combat the criminal networks behind often risky and unsafe migrant smuggling operations.
Building on these efforts, from 5 to 7 April 2022, UNODC brought together Maldivian and Sri Lankan experts from the in Male to further strengthen communication and information sharing and explore ways to deepen bilateral cooperation.
For three days, a group of ten specialized investigators, prosecutors, immigration and maritime law enforcement officers discussed and exchanged information about the regional context, as well as modi operandi, routes and investigative approaches for smuggling of migrants’ cases.
Participants, with the support of UNODC experts, discussed how parallel investigations, joint investigative teams, and judicial cooperation could help to dismantle organized criminal groups operating in the two countries.
"The meeting helped us deliberate on how both countries could help each other detect and identify criminal networks and offer cooperation to other States,” said Shuaib Abdul Rahman, Sub-Inspector of the Maldives Police Service.
“The knowledge gained will help prepare our minds to build successful cases to eliminate criminal networks of migrant smugglers,” he added.
“The dialogue we had with the Maldivian counterparts helped us identify both sea and air routes commonly used by migrant smugglers. Working together will help us combat smuggling of migrants and enhance investigative capabilities of both countries,” said Haripriya Jayasundere, Additional Solicitor General at the Attorney General's Department of Sri Lanka.
The meeting also provided an opportunity for bilateral discussions on establishing a framework for future cooperation between the Maldives and Sri Lanka.
“Developing cooperation and communication between these countries is essential to counter migrant smuggling in the South Asia region,” said Romulus Ungureanu, STARSOM Law Enforcement Advisor.
Bilateral meetings are part of the operational component of STARSOM project, which also includes mentoring support in specific countries. Bilateral meetings between practitioners from Ghana and Nigeria, as well as Costa Rica and Bangladesh took place in March 2022 and further such meetings will bring together Dominican Republic, Turks and Caicos Islands and Barbados in April 2022.
The STARSOM project is funded by the Government of Canada through its Anti-Crime Capacity Building Program (ACCBP).