International police cooperation is important in tackling increasing technology-driven crime: Home Secy

Addressing the 10th Interpol Liaison Officers Conference on Thursday, Home Minister Govind Mohan stressed the importance of international police cooperation in tackling the rapidly changing world of cross-border, technology-driven crime.

Opening the ILO conference organised by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) at its headquarters in Italy, the Interior Minister further stated that the spectre of transnational crime and organised crime calls for direct international police cooperation.

He stated: “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 found abroad.”

He continued: “New age crimes, including cyber-enabled financial crimes, 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 overstated.”

Mohan stressed the need for close coordination and real-time cooperation among law enforcement agencies globally, given the threat of terrorism, transnational organised crime networks, online radicalisation, illicit drug trafficking, arms trafficking, cybercrime, online sexual exploitation of children and other such factors.

He stressed that safe havens for crime, criminal proceeds and terrorism anywhere in the world pose a serious threat to every country.

He further emphasised the importance of combating crimes, including terrorism, quoting from the speech of the Union Minister of Home Affairs at the closing session of the 90th INTERPOL General Assembly, who had emphatically stated: “I firmly believe that terrorism is the greatest violation of human rights”.

Elaborating on recent initiatives for international police cooperation, he stated that with the approval of the Ministry of Home Affairs, a working arrangement was signed by the CBI with EUROPOL in March 2024 to strengthen law enforcement cooperation between India and the EU.

He also stressed the importance of the Global Operation Centre, which was set up by CBI in 2022. He indicated that this centre processes 200-300 requests for assistance daily, both incoming and outgoing.

Speaking on the occasion, CBI Director Praveen Sood said that “the world today is confronted with a multitude of serious and globalised poly-crimes and threats such as terrorism, online radicalisation, cyber-facilitated financial crime, online child sexual exploitation, corruption, drug trafficking, terror financing and organised crime.”

He added: “The Indian police have taken a leading role in addressing these challenges through a combination of a robust legal framework, innovative initiatives, leveraging technology and proactive international cooperation.”

The CBI chief further said that law enforcement professionals should be well versed in the various means of coordinating international legal assistance in criminal matters.

He stressed the need for international cooperation as technology-driven crimes become more prevalent, saying: “Criminals are no longer limited by borders, and neither are our efforts to combat them.”

The theme of this year’s ILO conference was ‘Strengthening International Law Enforcement Partnerships’, organised by the CBI on the eve of the upcoming UN International Day of Police Cooperation.

The opening session was attended virtually by law enforcement personnel from across India and from member countries of INTERPOL, EUROPOL and GloBE Network.

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