Agreement signed to combat transnational crime

New Zealand Police and the Royal Thai Police are making a joint effort to enhance cooperation in the fight against transnational crime.

An arrangement between Royal Thai Police and the New Zealand Police to combat transnational crime and develop police cooperation has been signed today by the Deputy Commissioner General, Royal Thai Police and the New Zealand Police Deputy Commissioner, at Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bangkok.

The Arrangement is intended to build upon the existing cooperative framework between the two forces in the area of law enforcement, in particular the prevention and suppression of transnational crime and in other matters related to police cooperation, including law enforcement aspects of disaster management.

“The signing of this important document guides our two countries’ cooperation in the fight against transnational crime, and unites us in the common objective of halting criminals whose activities pose a real danger to our people," says New Zealand Police Deputy Commissioner Mike Bush.

Deputy Commissioner General of Royal Thai Police, Police General Pongsapat Pongchareon, says today's signing strengthens the relationship between both countries, through improved intelligence sharing, relating to a broad range of transnational criminals and crime issues.

"Today we have reached an understanding to share information, to engage in cooperative operations and strengthen our cooperative assistance, not just in law enforcement, but also in areas such as our response to natural disasters of the kind that both our countries have experienced in recent years."

The Royal Thai Police and the New Zealand Police have cooperated formally since the first NZ Police Liaison Officer was deployed in 1978.

Deputy Commissioner Bush says NZ Police looks forward to working with the Royal Thai Police for many more years to come.