VBSS course for foreign Coast Guard personnel comes to an end in Trincomalee

The certificate awarding ceremony of the Visit Board Search and Seizure (VBSS) course, conducted for the Coast Guard personnel affiliated to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), was held at the Special Boat Squadron (SBS) Training School in Trincomalee on 27^th September 2019.

The closing ceremony was graced by Commander Eastern Naval Area, Rear Admiral Merril Wickramasinghe as the Chief Guest. During the event 08 Coast Guard personnel from Indonesia 08 from Malaysia and 09 from Philippine were awarded certificates for successful completion of the course.

The course was undertaken by the Sri Lanka Navy, under the directives of the Commander of the Navy, Vice Admiral Piyal De Silva, in coordination with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The training was conducted by Instructors of Special Boat Squadron Training School & Maritime Law Enforcement mentors of the UNODC.

The two-week training programme was exclusively designed in such a way for the participants to hone their knowledge mainly on drug identification, drug transferring methods and planning, preparation and boarding procedures in VBSS operations.

The occasion was attended by Flag Officer Commanding the Naval Fleet, Rear Admiral Upul De Silva, Heads of Departments and senior officers attached to the Eastern Naval Command, maritime law enforcement mentors from the UNODC and instructors from the SBS.