Background
The National Police of Cambodia convened a national-level training course on weapons investigation focused on combating illicit arms trafficking in the ASEAN region. The National Police’s Central Department of Public Order coordinates national-level training on weapons investigation and illicit arms trafficking.
The course ran from 22 to 24 June 2026 and gathered around 40 participants from multiple Cambodian ministries and agencies to receive operational guidance. The training agenda included investigative procedures for weapons trade, forensic identification topics, and the use of international reference and record-management systems for illicit weapons.
Key Developments
The opening ceremony was presided over by Lieutenant General Bun Da, head of the Central Department of Public Order, with formal permission from Police Commissioner-General Sar Thet. International speakers and advisers at the event included Line Haidar from INTERPOL’s weapons expertise unit, Aaron Mosby representing the U.S. Department of Energy, Edward S. Lee (counter-terrorism specialist), and Mohamed Osama Ahmed Abdulbari (weapons specialist at INTERPOL).
Institutional Role
INTERPOL organized the technical content of the training and provided reference materials used during sessions, while the National Police served as the national host and coordinator for participant agencies. Participating Cambodian institutions included the General Department of Immigration (Ministry of Interior), the General Staff of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces, the national authority for chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) matters, the General Department of Customs and Excise (Ministry of Economy and Finance), and representatives from the Ministry of Justice.
Operational Implications
Course sessions delivered practical modules on investigative operations, methods for identifying illicit weapons, and procedures for tracking and preserving weapons-related records within international and national databases. Officials at the event acknowledged external funding and technical support contributions that enabled the training to proceed and facilitated participation by international experts.
