Seventh Joint Period of Action 2023-2024
The Joint Period of Action (JPoA) is the centrepiece of the Disruption Working Group. The purpose is to enable interested members to carry out co-ordinated law enforcement operations against criminal networks involved in people smuggling and/or trafficking in persons over the designated period of time.
In the past, JPOAs have taken place over a six-month time period. This year the DWG co-chairs have extended the Joint Periods to 12-months, allowing tangible outcomes from larger and longer-term investigations to be progressed and reported on.
In 2023-2024, two concurrent joint investigations are being conducted:
- New Zealand and Viet Nam are investigating the exploitation of Vietnamese nationals who entered New Zealand and subsequently forced into criminal activity or exploited by employers.
- Sri Lanka is leading a joint investigation on Sri Lankan nationals who left their country legally and entered into SE Asia with the intent of moving illegally across borders. Other participating members for this investigation are Malaysia, Thailand, Bangladesh, Maldives, Philippines, Vietnam, New Zealand, Australia, IOM and UNODC.
The JPOA was formally initiated at the in-person Planning Session held in Bangkok on 26 – 27 July 2023. More sessions are planned over the next 12 months as the joint investigations progress.
