Jakarta (ANTARA) - Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Muhammad Ali, invited Attorney General Sanitiar Burhanuddin to establish cooperation in maritime law enforcement considering the range of criminal acts that threaten Indonesian waters.

During the meeting at the Attorney General's Office (AGO) here on Tuesday, Ali said that the modus operandi of criminal actors at sea are becoming increasingly varied, so close coordination between the Navy and the Attorney General's Office has become more important.

"Indonesia has marine wealth that it potentially attracts (parties) from overseas. This can lead to transnational crimes such as territorial violations, illegal fishing, illegal mining, illegal drug trafficking to terrorism," he expounded.

There are 12 agencies whose working areas cover Indonesian waters, including the Indonesian Navy and the Maritime Security Agency (Bakamla), he informed.

"All investigations of maritime crimes need to be well coordinated between parties," Ali said.

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During the meeting, Burhanuddin welcomed Ali's initiative for cooperation.

The Attorney General said that currently, there is a Junior Attorney General for Military Criminal Affairs who can help with law enforcement efforts conducted by the Indonesian Navy in Indonesian waters.

Burhanuddin said that there is a need for strengthening facilities and infrastructure and providing clear regulations to support coordination between the two institutions in order to prevent authority overlaps.

"There needs to be joint education and training for information and knowledge sharing to build the same perception between law enforcement (institutions)," he added.

Earlier, the Navy held technical guidance on integrated law enforcement in the shipping sector in Jakarta from October 16–20, 2023.

The activity was attended by 30 officials from the operations, intelligence, and law arms of the Navy, as well as representatives from the Air Force, Bakamla, the National Police, and the Transportation Ministry.

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Translator: Genta M, Kenzu
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
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