Interpol: Refugees may not be given safe havens due to different international jurisdictions: Home Minister Govind Mohan

Criminals and fugitives should not be given safe havens by exploiting differences in international jurisdictions and should be brought to justice, Home Minister Govind Mohan said on Thursday. In his inaugural address at the 10th Interpol Liaison Officers (ILOs) Conference organised by the CBI, Mohan said safe havens for crime, proceeds of crime and terrorism across the world pose a “serious threat to every country”.

“An increasingly interconnected world needs internationally connected policing. Criminals and fugitives must not be given safe havens by exploiting differences in international jurisdictions and must be brought to justice,” he said.

The conference on ‘Strengthening International Law Enforcement Partnerships’, ahead of the upcoming UN International Day of Police Cooperation, was attended by senior officials from all law enforcement agencies of the Centre, states and union territories, as well as international police liaison officers from various countries.

Law enforcement personnel from across India and member countries of Interpol, Europol and GlobE Network participated in the session virtually.

The Minister of the Interior stressed the importance of international police cooperation in tackling the rapidly changing world of technology-enabled crime that transcends borders.

“The international spread of crime and criminals has increased the need for investigations abroad. Prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of crime is increasingly dependent on digital evidence and evidence located abroad,” he said.

According to Mohan, the specter of transnational crime and organised crime requires direct international police cooperation.

“New-age crimes, including cyber-enabled financial crime, online radicalisation and transnational organised crime networks, are not limited by borders. In an increasingly interconnected world, the importance of international police cooperation cannot be overemphasised,” he said. The Home Minister said there is a need for close coordination and real-time cooperation among law enforcement agencies globally in view of the imminent threats posed by terrorism, transnational organised crime networks, online radicalisation, illicit drug flows, arms trafficking, cybercrime, online sexual exploitation of children, human trafficking, crimes against wildlife and the environment, economic crimes, laundering of proceeds of crime, financing of terrorism, etc.

He said a working arrangement was signed with Europol by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in March to strengthen law enforcement cooperation between India and the European Union (EU). Following approval from the Ministry of Home Affairs, the CBI Academy joined the Interpol Global Academy Network in August 2023 to enhance police capacity building and India joined Interpol’s International Child Sexual Exploitation (ICSE) database, which provides a crucial tool in the fight against child sexual abuse and exploitation.

Mohan said the CBI’s Global Operation Centre, set up in 2022, handles 200 to 300 requests for assistance daily, both incoming and outgoing.

Referring to various sessions organised during the conference, including on international mutual legal assistance in criminal matters and the MHA portal, he added that ILOs play an important coordinating role in the implementation of letters of request and requests for mutual legal assistance.

The Ministry of Home Affairs is India’s central authority in this regard and sends and receives all requests for assistance, either directly or through diplomatic channels. The ministry has issued comprehensive guidelines with a detailed outline for hearing witnesses and templates for drafting meaningful requests, Mohan said.

The Home Minister said an online portal launched in December 2022, developed by the Home Ministry in consultation with ILOs and the CBI, has been a game changer in onboarding all stakeholders on a single platform with a user-friendly interface.

Earlier in his address, CBI Director Praveen Sood said that the world today is facing a multitude of serious and global poly-crimes and threats such as terrorism, online radicalisation, cyber-based financial crime, online child sexual exploitation, corruption, drug trafficking, terrorist financing and organised crime.

“Indian police are leading the way in addressing these challenges through a combination of a robust legal framework, innovative initiatives, leveraging technology and proactive international cooperation,” he said.

Sood said law enforcement professionals should be well-versed in the various ways of coordinating international legal assistance in criminal matters.

India joined Interpol in 1949 and has continuously contributed to its operational and organizational success.