The 4th International Webinar Series of Customs COLLAGE (Customs Collaboration Beyond the Edge) was successfully held by Indonesian Customs and Excise Training Center in collaboration with Directorate General of Customs and Excise, WCO Asia/Pacific Vice Chair, and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime on September 10, 2020. Up to 400 participants from more than 26 countries and organizations participated in this Webinar on “Escalating Threat from Transnational Organized Crime and How We Can Collaborate”.

After the opening remarks from Mr. Harry Mulya, Director of Indonesian Customs and Excise Training Center, Mr. Bahaduri Wijayanta, Director of Enforcement and Investigation DGCE provided an insight on DGCE’s perspective on transnational organized crimes.

In his remarks, he mentioned that currently DGCE has mainly focused on transnational crimes including drugs and illegal precursor smuggling, terrorism related goods, wildlife/ CITES smugling and cultural goods, as well as Intellectual Property Rights infringement goods. Mr. Wijayanta pointed out that during the current situation of COVID 19 pandemic, the key of combatting transnational organized crimes are by adapting, having the awareness, and strengthening the synergy amongagencies, ministries, bodies, and countries.

The next presentation was from Mr. Collie Brown, UNODC Country Manager and Liaison to ASEAN.  He conveyed a presentation about Overview and Implications of Transnational Organized Crime in Southeast Asia and delivered some work results of UNODC on the transnational organized crime reports.

Mr. Bob Van Den Berghe, UNODC Law and Enforcement Expert continued the session with presentation about the Container Control Programme (CCP) UNODC and WCO initiative that has been launched in 2004. CCP has main duties to assist governments establish and maintain effective container controls, prevents trafficking in drugs and other illicit goods, and facilitate legitimate trade and protect revenue. As results, CCP has contributed positively on commercial fraud and contraband, narcotic drugs and fraudulent medicines, strategic and weapons, and flora fauna and environmental crime field.

In addition to CCP, the last speaker of the webinar was Mr. Adam Bacheller, UNODC Strategic Trade and Export Control Trainer. Mr. Adam mentioned that UNODC also has mentorship and follow-up visits events as the training program. He added that UNODC has a certain concern on COVID 19 pandemic and response it with a program to educate the officers on field to be fully aware and protected from COVID 19.

At the end of the webinar, the speakers agreed that responding to the transnational organized crime needs collective efforts of all the relevant agencies and governments. The ideal transnational organized criminal justice are supposed to be structured and have the capacity to manage the law enforcement in best practice.