About the TPC
A ministerial instrument against organised crime.
The Trilateral Planning Cell is the ministerial mechanism through which South Africa, Mozambique and Tanzania plan, coordinate and act together against drug trafficking and the organised crime that moves with it.
Origin and mandate
Born in Maputo. Backed at the highest level.
The Trilateral Planning Cell is a ministerial multilateral mechanism established in Maputo, Mozambique, by the Ministers responsible for policing of the Republics of South Africa, Mozambique and Tanzania, with the support of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
Its purpose is to counter the excessive flow of illicit drugs and associated transnational organised crime moving through the Southern Route and other routes into and through the region.
In March 2022 and again in December 2025, at the Bi-National Commissions, the Presidents of South Africa and Mozambique pledged support for the Ministerial Trilateral Strategy to combat illicit drug trafficking and transnational organised crime.
The decisions of the Ministerial TROIKA flow from the 4th Bi-National Commission, Police Sub-Committee on Defence and Security.
The TPC exists to see that movement whole, and to break it.
The TPC boardroom, Maputo 
Details withheldThe flags of the three member states and of the United Nations
Governance
Three tiers, one line of authority
The Ministerial TROIKA governs. The Senior Officials implement. The Director and Secretariat in Maputo run the cell day to day.
The Ministerial TROIKAThe governing body and highest decision-making structure.
It holds oversight responsibility, analyses reports and approves the programme of activities. It is the body to which the TPC reports.
The Senior OfficialsThe implementing tier.
Chiefs of Police and their Deputies; directorates responsible for specialised investigations, organised crime and drug trafficking; directors of criminal investigation and intelligence divisions; border policing; justice and prosecuting authorities; naval authorities.
The Director and Secretariat, MaputoThe Directorship rotates among the member states.
The Director manages the secretariat and the daily activities of the cell. The secretariat is currently under the management of the South African Police Service (SAPS).
Technical and support pillar
Agreed by the Ministers and UNODC:
- The TPC is located in Maputo; the Republic of Mozambique provides office space for its headquarters.
- The Directorship rotates to manage implementation of the lines of work.
- The trilateral states deploy the Director and staff members to the TPC.
- The TPC utilises and seeks regional and international support for value addition.
- Through the sitting Director and UNODC, the TPC manages the operational activities of the Senior Officials of the Ministerial TROIKA.
Member states
Three republics, their services, one cell
South Africa
South African Police Service (SAPS), including the DPCI (Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation) and SANEB
The secretariat is currently under SAPS management.
Mozambique
Polícia da República de Moçambique (PRM) and SERNIC
Hosts the headquarters in Maputo.
Tanzania
Tanzania Police Force (TPF) and the DCEA (Drug Control and Enforcement Authority)
Principal landfall of the Southern Route alongside Mozambique.
Principals
The ministerial principals
The names of the current ministerial principals are published once the Secretariat confirms them for this site.
Values
What the cell stands on
- Sovereignty
- Integrity
- Leadership
“Strengthening Transnational Coordination to Better Identify External Factors Contributing to Organised Crime in the Trilateral States”
Questions
Frequently asked
Is the TPC a police force?
No. The TPC is a coordination mechanism. Operations are executed by the national police services under their own authority.
Can I report a crime here?
No. This website is not for reporting crimes or emergencies. Contact your national police service.