SEACOP on Monday 24 October 2022 launched a 5-day advanced training on vessel rummaging in Mindelo in Sao Vicente (Cabo Verde).
Attended by 10 officers from Customs, the judicial, tax and maritime police, as well as coast guards, the training is led by two French Customs experts.
The course’s opening ceremony was chaired by Mr Elton Santos, the departmental director of the Judicial police of Sao Vicente.
In his speech, SEACOP Deputy Regional Coordinator for West Africa Akizi-Egnim AKALA noted that “the objective of the training is to enhance the capacities of the participants by providing them with necessary techniques and tools of vessels rummaging.”
Following the training, a multi-agency unit (Joint Maritime Control Unit) will be set up, in charge of vessels search in the fight against maritime illicit trafficking.
SEACOP already conducted a basic vessel rummaging training in Praia in May 2022 and a maritime intelligence training in early September 2022 in Sao Vicente.
