2nd VBSS course held for UNODC officials successfully concluded in Trincomalee
 

A Visit Board Search & Seizure (VBSS) Course for the Bangladesh and Maldivian naval personnel attached to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Programme was conducted under the direction of the Commander of the Navy, Vice Admiral Sirimevan Ranasinghe and the guidance and supervision of United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), at the Special Boat Squadron (SBS) Training School in Trincomalee. The closing ceremony of this 2^nd (VBSS) Course conducted by the Sri Lanka Navy was held yesterday (29^th June 2018) at the SBS Headquarters and it was graced by the Deputy Chief of Staff and Director General Operations of the Sri Lanka Navy, Rear Admiral Piyal De Silva, as the Chief Guest. The ceremony also saw a skill-display presented by the course participants making use of the training imparted by the Navy on VBSS activities. Senior Country Officer - Seychelles, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Mr. Shanaka Jayasekara, Deputy Area Commander Eastern Naval Area, Commodore Nandana Jayarathne and Commanding Officer Special Boat Squadron, Captain Aruna Weerasinghe were also present at the event.

The training programme undertook by the Navy in collaboration with the UNODC was held for the second time over 2 weeks from 18^th to 29^th June at the SBS Headquarters in Trincomalee. The course was attended by 08 naval personnel each from Bangladesh and Maldives and 12 participants from the Sri Lanka Navy and Coast Guard. This special training programme has been carried out in such a manner enabling the participants to pick the brain of experienced SLN personnel to hone their knowledge mainly on drug identification, drug transferring methods and planning, preparation and boarding procedures.

The Deputy Chief of Staff and Director General Operations of the Navy, Rear Admiral Piyal De Silva, the Chief Guest of the occasion, extended his best wishes to the trained naval personnel who completed their very first specialized training of this nature and awarded certificates to them in recognition of the successful completion of the course. Moreover the Senior Country Officer - Seychelles, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Mr. Shanaka Jayasekara, in his speech, extended his sincere gratitude to the Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy, Vice Admiral Sirimevan Ranasinghe, Deputy Chief of Staff and Director General Operations, Rear Admiral Silva, Commanding Officer Special Boat Squadron, Captain Weerasinghe and his staff for the assistance rendered for the successful completion the course.