Manado, N Sulawesi (ANTARA News) - A total of 13 patrol boats took part in the Indonesian-Philippines marine police joint exercise in dealing with transnational crimes, in Bitung waters for three days.

"The patrol boats include one type B unit from the Police Headquarters, one type C, four type C2 and five type C3 from the North Sulawsi police," North Sulawesi marine police director, Senior commissioner Tubuh Masyareh said on the sidelines of a rehearsal of a Law Enforcement Maritime Exercise (Marlex) between Indonesian and Philippines police in Bitung waters here Wednesday.

The joint exercise was aimed to protect the territorial border waters between Indonesia and the Philippines combatting transnational crime, he said, adding that the exercise would last from November 17 to 19.

Meanwhile, head of public relations division of the North Sulawesi police Adjunct Senior Commissioner Beny Bella said the joint exercise involved 80 police personnel, including 27 Philippine police officers.

Bella did not mention whether or not it was the first-ever joint exercise between matrine police patrols of the two countries. (*)