The fourth vessel boarding and search training facility in Southeast Asia and the Pacific was opened today at the RFNS Viti in Togalevu just outside of Suva.

The facility, through the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, is targeted at boosting maritime capabilities for customs, immigration, and fisheries officers to combat illegal activities within our waters.

Twenty-two officers from nine Pacific Island countries will be the first to undertake two weeks of training at the RFNS Viti base.

UNODC Head of Global Maritime Crime Programme Siri Bjune says the training will be done at sea in different environments both day and night.

She says UNDC aims to set up a fully equipped training facility to deliver an effective vessel boarding training facility for the region.

She adds that later in June and July, police maritime units from across the Pacific will undertake similar training.