BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN: Deputy Minister (Security and Law) at the Prime Minister’s Office Datuk Seri Paduka Sufian Sabtu pledged Brunei’s commitment in supporting the efforts by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and The International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL) in combatting transnational fraud through the Global Fraud Response Mechanism at the Global Fraud Summit on March 16-17 at the Vienna International Centre, Vienna, Austria.
The statement also highlighted the strategies undertaken by the government of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah in building up the capacity and capability of the relevant enforcement agencies in addressing the complex trends in fraud with support from partners in the region and around the world.
The summit commenced with the plenary session on March 16, officiated by Secretary General of INTERPOL Valdecy Urquiza and Acting Executive Director of the UNODC John Brandolino, followed by a keynote address by Lord Hanson of Flint, Minister of State at the Home Office, United Kingdom.
The Global Fraud Summit gathers ministerial-level representatives as well as participants from law enforcement agencies, the private sector, civil society and academia to address the increasing trend in global fraud.
The summit also serves as a platform to mobilise international action to combat global fraud by fostering high-level dialogues and effective cross-sectoral cooperation in enforcing anti-fraud legislation.
The deputy minister shared a statement to the UNODC at the High-Level Roundtable on the Global Fraud Response Mechanism, which discussed strategic measures and collective actions that could be taken by the international community to address the issue of global fraud.
The statement emphasised that the enforcement agencies in Brunei have given special attention to the issue of online scams which aree increasing across the Asean region.
The statement also listed Brunei’s initiatives to address online fraud through a “Whole-of-Nation” and “Whole-of-Government” approach, including the establishment of an Anti-Scam Helpline in August 2025 and outreach activities to educate all layers of society on the dangers of online scams.
The delegation led by the deputy minister was also joined by senior officers from the Prime Minister’s Office and the Royal Brunei Police Force. - Borneo Bulletin/ANN
