GMCP - INDIAN OCEAN EAST

COUNTRIES:

PRESENCE/PROGRAMMING: Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Sri Lanka

OUR PRIORITIES

01. TECHNOLOGY-DRIVEN CAPACITY BUILDING: INNOVATING FOR SAFER SEAS
Technology is the force multiplier for maritime security. By integrating cutting-edge tools and techniques, we aim to enhance the agility and effectiveness of Maritime Law Enforcement (MLE) agencies to stay ahead of evolving threats. By integrating AI-driven tools, state-of-the-art equipment for Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA), and refined Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure (VBSS) techniques, we empower MLE agencies to respond swiftly to crime at sea. Our training and support extend to remote and isolated areas, fostering a tech-enabled, collaborative approach to tackle emerging threats.
02. EVIDENCE-BASED OPERATIONS: SMART STRATEGIES FOR IMPACTFUL ACTION
Reliable evidence transforms MLE from reactive to proactive. Grounded in data, evidence-based operations enable more precise interventions, addressing maritime crime effectively and sustainably. Through targeted threat assessments, legislative gap analyses and operational manuals, we support our beneficiaries to make informed decisions. Our programmes emphasize integrity, human rights compliance and coordinated efforts to address organized criminal groups, thereby optimising decision-making and impact in real-time.
03. ENDING IMPUNITY THROUGH THE ‘LEGAL FINISH’ APPROACH: JUSTICE THAT DETERS
A successful conviction doesn’t just punish crime: it deters it. The legal finish ensures that maritime crime cases are fully prosecuted, delivering justice and reinforcing the rule of law. Our ‘Integrated Training Package’ links MDA with VBSS techniques, hands-on crime scene investigations on vessels, and mentoring for investigators and prosecutors, before concluding with mock trials. This approach strengthens the link between maritime interdictions and successful prosecutions, ensuring seizures translate into convictions.
04. FOSTERING A REGIONAL MINDSET: UNITED FOR STRONGER SECURITY
Maritime threats know no borders - collaboration is the only way forward. Regional cooperation strengthens collective responses, ensuring security across shared waters. We drive regional cooperation with inter-governmental organisations like the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), the Colombo Security Conclave (CSC), and the Bay of Bengal Programme (BOBP), as well as the MDA centres such as the Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) to foster information sharing and joint operations. Initiatives like the Southern Route Partnership advance trust, tackle drug trafficking and strengthen coordinated responses across the Indian Ocean.

2024 STATS

1,583 OFFICERS TRAINED
121 TRAININGS
252 WOMEN TRAINED
4 COUNTRIES SUPPORTED

DONORS

EUROPEAN UNION - JAPAN - UNITED STATES

TYPES OF MARITIME CRIME WE COUNTER

Crimes in the Fisheries Sector
Crimes that affect the Environment
Drug Trafficking
Human Trafficking and Smuggling of Migrants
Illicit trafficking of Nuclear materials

KEY RESULTS IN 2024

REGIONAL MINDSET ENHANCED: Partnership plan developed with Indian stakeholders covering detection/interdiction and legal finish, working with regional institutions such as IORA, BIMSTEC, and the CSC. Additional partnership with the Bay of Bengal Programme-Inter-Governmental Organization (BOBP-IGO) focusing on human rights and the rule of law during Fishing Vessel Boarding Operations (FVBOs).
KNOWLEDGE PRODUCTS DEVELOPED: UNODC developed diverse knowledge products to support regional cooperation and the advancement of MLE capacity in the region. Reports included: ✓ Operational Analysis on Drug Seizures at Sea and Prosecution in Bangladesh, the Maldives, and Sri Lanka. ✓ Organized Criminal Networks Linked with Drug Trafficking in the Eastern Indian Ocean Region, drawing from Regional Maritime Law Enforcement Dialogue. ✓ UNODC’s Legislative Guide on Marine Pollution.
GENDER MAINSTREAMING: Production of a comprehensive gender assessment, providing a holistic analysis and actionable recommendations to adopt a gender-transformative approach across the region. Further, production of an operational analysis of trafficking in persons in the fisheries sector was also conducted, focusing on gender-specific risks affecting women and girls, and providing recommendations to improve victim support and protection.
PRISON CONGESTION ADDRESSED: In Sri Lanka, fully equipped virtual courts were established in selected prisons to streamline virtual hearings. A comprehensive legal and operational impact assessment was also conducted to strengthen community-based corrections and alternatives to imprisonment. Similarly in Maldives a five-year strategic action plan for the Correctional Services and a prisoner data management system was developed.

INNOVATIVE AND COMPREHENSIVE APPROACHES TO ADDRESSING DRUG TRAFFICKING: Synthetic drug smuggling in the Maldives was addressed by providing hands-on drug testing training for four Maldivian police officers at the UNODC Vienna laboratory, subsequently replicated for 100 MLE personnel in combination with Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) training and mentoring. To enhance impact 80 drug and precursor testing kits were distributed and CCTV cameras were installed on seven islands. In addition, an Information Fusion Centre (IFC) was established in the Maldives and, at the policy level, the foundation was laid for a legislative and policy unit within the Maldives Ministry of Homeland Security and Technology, supported by the drafting of operational guidelines and a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for inter-agency information exchange.
ENHANCED MARITIME SAFETY: The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) for the Maldives National Defence Force Coast Guard was constructed. The project included both the construction and equipment of the MRCC training facility, and the delivery of MLE and SAR training programs.
COMPREHENSIVE TRAINING TARGETING THE ENTIRE CRIMINAL JUSTICE CHAIN: A Simulated Trial was hosted as part of the Integrated Training Package, involving a narcotics seizure in the Exclusive Economic Zone. The exercise enhanced understanding of maritime drug interdiction and fostered collaboration between law enforcement and the judiciary, while also utilizing MDA platforms for the adjudication of evidence.

United Nations

Office on Drugs and Crime

GMCP - INDIAN OCEAN EAST

COUNTRIES:

OUR PRIORITIES

2024 STATS

DONORS

TYPES OF MARITIME CRIME WE COUNTER

KEY RESULTS IN 2024