ASEANAPOL Advances Regional Blueprint for National Anti-Online Scam Centres to Strengthen ASEAN’s Collective Response Against Scam Networks

ASEANAPOL Advances Regional Blueprint for National Anti-Online Scam Centres to Strengthen ASEAN’s Collective Response Against Scam Networks

Kuala Lumpur, 9 April 2026

The ASEANAPOL Secretariat conducted a study visit to the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC), Malaysia, on 9 April 2026, as part of its continuing efforts to advance a regional blueprint supporting the establishment and harmonization of National Anti-Online Scam Centres across ASEAN Member Countries.

The delegation was led by Police Senior Colonel Dr. Kongkrissada Kittithiraphong, Executive Director of the ASEANAPOL Secretariat, and included Police Senior Superintendent Huntal Tambunan (Director for Police Services), Police Colonel Jean Mary A. Mangahis (Director for Plans and Programmes), DSP Abdul Hamid Abdul Hashim, ASP Engku Nurul ‘Aini Engku Malek, and ASP Nithia Perumal.

This engagement operationalizes the mandates endorsed at the 43rd ASEANAPOL Conference, particularly those relating to strengthened regional coordination in combating cyber-enabled fraud and transnational financial crime.

During the visit, the delegation was received and briefed by Assistant Commissioner of Police Madhavan Nair Unnikrishnan of the National Scam Response Centre. The briefing highlighted Malaysia’s integrated national approach, which brings together law enforcement agencies, financial institutions, telecommunications providers, and other key stakeholders into a unified, rapid-response coordination mechanism.

The NSRC operates as a centralized platform enabling the immediate reporting of scam incidents, real-time transaction tracing, and the rapid freezing of mule accounts within critical response windows. The Centre also bolsters investigative coordination through structured data-sharing mechanisms and proactive public awareness initiatives aimed at mitigating scam victimization.

Moving forward, this study visit reinforces ASEANAPOL’s strategic initiative to develop a regional reference framework for interoperable Anti-Online Scam Centres across ASEAN. By strengthening compatibility among national coordination platforms, ASEANAPOL aims to accelerate cross-border intelligence exchange, enhance financial disruption capabilities, and improve collective operational agility against sophisticated scam networks operating across jurisdictions.

Through structured knowledge exchange and operational assessment, the ASEANAPOL Secretariat continues to facilitate practical pathways for Member Countries to transform their national response platforms into interconnected pillars of a robust regional security architecture against cyber-enabled fraud.

The ASEANAPOL Secretariat expresses its sincere appreciation to the Royal Malaysia Police and the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) for their warm hospitality and the invaluable sharing of operational expertise. This engagement marks a significant milestone in our collective commitment to disrupting transnational scam networks and ensuring the protection of communities across the region.