10th INTERPOL Liaison Officers Conference opened by the Minister of the Interior

10th INTERPOL Liaison Officers Conference opened by the Minister of the Interior

Vartha Bharati | 05-09-2024 | 17:45:00 IST

New Delhi: The 10th INTERPOL Liaison Officers (ILO) Conference, organised by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), was inaugurated at the CBI headquarters in New Delhi by Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan. The conference, held on the eve of the UN International Day of Police Co-operation, brought together senior officers from various law enforcement agencies of the central, state and union territories along with international police liaison officers from several countries.

This year’s theme, “Strengthening International Law Enforcement Partnerships,” reflects the growing need for global cooperation to address emerging crime challenges. The event saw virtual participation of law enforcement personnel from across India, along with representatives from INTERPOL, EUROPOL and the GloBE Network.

In his inaugural address, Home Minister Govind Mohan stressed the urgent need for international police cooperation in the light of rapidly advancing technology that facilitates cross-border crime. Highlighting the increasing complexity of transnational and organised crime, Mohan said, “The international spread of crime and criminals has increased the need for investigations abroad. Prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of crime now heavily depend on digital and foreign evidence.”

He underlined the threats of cyber-enabled financial crime, online radicalization and transnational organized crime networks, pointing out that these new-age crimes are not limited by borders. Mohan stressed the importance of real-time cooperation and coordination among global law enforcement agencies to combat terrorism, drug trafficking, arms smuggling, cybercrime, human trafficking, child exploitation, environmental crime and financial crimes.

“Safe havens for criminals, proceeds of crime and terrorism around the world pose a serious threat to all countries. An increasingly interconnected world demands internationally connected policing,” Mohan said. He called for eliminating safe havens for criminals who take advantage of differences in international jurisdictions and urged that fugitives be brought to justice through strong international coordination.

Mohan also referred to India’s longstanding membership of INTERPOL, which joined in 1949, and acknowledged the country’s active role in the organisation. He highlighted that India has hosted several major events, including two sessions of the INTERPOL General Assembly, in 1997 and 2022.

The Home Minister elaborated on India’s recent initiatives to enhance global law enforcement cooperation. In March 2024, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) approved a working arrangement with EUROPOL, aimed at strengthening law enforcement partnerships between India and the European Union. Additionally, in August 2023, India joined INTERPOL’s Global Academy Network, enhancing police capacity building efforts. India also became part of the International Child Sexual Exploitation (ICSE) database, which provides crucial tools in the global fight against child exploitation.

Mohan also spoke about the Global Operation Centre set up by the CBI in 2022, which processes 200-300 international requests for assistance daily, both incoming and outgoing. He lauded the introduction of an online portal by the MHA in December 2022, developed in collaboration with the CBI and ILOs, to streamline the process of processing Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) requests. This portal has been instrumental in bringing stakeholders together on a unified platform with a user-friendly interface, which has significantly improved coordination.

Addressing the participants, CBI Director Praveen Sood said that the global crime landscape is increasingly dominated by poly-crimes such as terrorism, online radicalisation, cyber-financial crime, child sexual exploitation, corruption and drug trafficking. He emphasised that Indian law enforcement is addressing these challenges through a combination of robust legal framework, technological innovation and proactive international cooperation.

Sood stressed India’s crucial role in the success of INTERPOL, noting that the CBI serves as the National Central Bureau (NCB) for INTERPOL in India. The CBI facilitates communication between all Indian law enforcement agencies, including those at the state and central levels, through designated INTERPOL Liaison Officers.

“In 2023, the CBI’s Global Operation Centre handled 17,368 international requests for assistance and INTERPOL issued 100 Red Notices for criminals and fugitives wanted by Indian law enforcement, the highest number ever in a single year. So far in 2024, 19 wanted criminals have been successfully returned to India,” Sood shared. He stressed the importance of international cooperation in combating crimes that are increasingly transnational and technologically driven, stressing that “criminals are no longer limited by borders, and neither should our efforts to combat them.”

The conference also included several sessions dedicated to “Extradition, Provisional Arrest and Local Prosecution,” conducted by officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MEA). These sessions explored ways to operationalize INTERPOL channels and address complex transnational crimes through the GloBE network.

An Expert Roundtable on the theme “Strengthening International Law Enforcement Partnerships” saw the participation of keynote speakers from the German BKA, the FBI, the National Police Agency of Japan, the National Crime Agency of the UK, the Chilean PDI and the Nepalese Police. The roundtable emphasized the need for close cooperation to effectively combat globalized crime. Speakers stressed that the globalization of crime poses significant challenges that can only be addressed through robust and real-time international cooperation.

India’s role in INTERPOL was further underscored by CBI Director Sood, who noted that the CBI plays a crucial role in connecting law enforcement agencies across the country with INTERPOL through designated liaison officers. Since its inception, the ILO Conference, organised by the CBI since 2003, has been instrumental in enhancing the use of formal and informal means of international police cooperation to combat crime and the proceeds of crime.

In closing, the conference emphasized the critical role that law enforcement partnerships play in addressing the global nature of modern crimes. Both national and international law enforcement agencies were urged to continue building strong partnerships, leveraging technology and sharing critical information to combat the evolving threats of organized and transnational crime.

With a strong emphasis on cooperation, the conference concluded with a commitment to strengthening international law enforcement partnerships, recognizing the globalized nature of modern crime and the importance of joint global efforts to effectively address these challenges.

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