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Freeman Razemba in TANZANIA
Law enforcement agents in the region have been challenged to ensure they don’t just arrest and prosecute criminals, but go on to forfeit all proceeds of crime in order to dismantle criminal syndicates.
This was said by the Southern Africa Regional Police Chiefs Cooperation Organisations (SARPCCO) chairperson, Inspector General Joseph Shimweelao Shikongo, while addressing officers at the official opening of the SARPCCO games here on Saturday.
Insp-Gen Shikongo, who is also the Namibian Police chief, said the SARPCCO Games were one of the decisions passed by their predecessors when the Chiefs of Police realised the need for regional cooperation, apart from the usual operations and training interventions for officers at operational level.
“That is when these games were born in our country, the Republic of Namibia, in our beautiful town of Swakopmund in 1996,” he said in a speech read on his behalf by Namibia Police Commissioner, Monaliza Molebu.
Insp-Gen Shikongo applauded the Chief of the Tanzanian Police Force, Inspector-General Camillius Wambura for keeping the bar high.
“As much as we are here for sports, we should not forget our main functions and duties as police officers.
“This platform is created for you to mingle and create tight networks that will assist you in your day-to-day activities especially in the fight against transnational organised and emerging crimes.
“We are the operationals on the ground and need such friendships to be created optimally. Criminal syndicates have always worked to ensure they evade police detection and subsequent arrest and prosecution,” said Insp-Gen Shikongo.
SARPCCO shall never relent in its efforts to get rid of criminal elements in the region through devising well-informed policing strategies, crafting responsive interventions and conducting intelligence-led operations.
“We should never see the arrest and prosecution of criminals as the end, but rather the beginning of the process as we always have to endeavour to go further to the process of seizure and forfeiture of proceeds of crime in order to dismantle the criminal syndicates.
“The successes for our region will only be realised if we meet at platforms such as this, where while sporting, we share best practices on how to uproot transnational organised and emerging crimes in our region,” said Insp Gen Shikongo.
Online Reporter