Europol and Interpol Chiefs review trends in international policing

At one of their regular meetings, held at the Europol headquarters in The Hague, Netherlands, Rob Wainwright, Europol Director, and Ronald K. Noble, Secretary General of Interpol, reviewed the cooperation between their two agencies and discussed the crime threats they are currently combating. High on the agenda was cybercrime, with the two chiefs reviewing progress in Europol’s EC3 and Interpol’s Global Complex for Innovation. Both agencies are responding to the increasing threat of cybercrime with these major projects which both chiefs have guaranteed will work in a complementary manner.

In reviewing recent operational cooperation, Rob Wainwright congratulated Mr Noble on Operation Lionfish, the Interpol led counter-narcotics operation recently conducted in the Caribbean.  Nearly 30 tonnes of cocaine, heroin and marijuana with an estimated value of USD 822 million were seized in the operation, which involved some 34 countries and territories, and was supported by Europol.

Looking to the future, agreement was reached on a new joint action plan which committed the two agencies to working together, particularly in respect of EU priorities identified in the Europol Serious and Organised Crime Threat Assessment. The joint annual action plan consolidates all common objectives and joint activities of both organisations, and covers areas such as:

• Improving the quality and availability of data, including the interoperability between respective database systems
• Establishing a horizontal focus across all crime areas
• Providing coordinated operational support and expertise
• Ensuring the development of administrative capabilities to achieve operational goals.

In September 2013, the first Europol-Interpol Cybercrime Conference will be held at the EC3 in The Hague. This innovative joint initiative will take place annually, hosted alternately by EC3 and Interpol.

“The cooperation between Interpol and Europol is a key component in our individual and combined efforts to assist our respective member countries in combating all types of crime, from all corners of the globe. We will continue to identify areas where we can collaborate even more effectively and which will see both Interpol and Europol further build on the successes we have already achieved,” said Interpol Secretary General Ronald K. Noble.

“The cooperation between Europol and Interpol is at an all-time high, with each organisation using its unique capabilities to provide complementary services to the law enforcement community in Europe and beyond. This has been demonstrated recently by significant international operations and by the further development of major cybercrime centres at Europol and Interpol. In the face of the globalisation of crime Europol and Interpol stand side-by-side in ensuring the world is taking a strong response,” said Rob Wainwright, Director of Europol.

Note to editors

The European Cybercrime Centre (EC3) is based at Europol headquarters in The Hague and is the focal point in the EU’s fight against cybercrime, protecting citizens and businesses against cybercrime threats. EC3 pools expertise and information, supports criminal investigations and promotes EU-wide solutions, while raising awareness of cybercrime issues and building operational and analytical capacity across the Union.

The Interpol Global Complex for Innovation is being built in Singapore to provide a cutting-edge research and development facility for the identification of crimes and criminals, innovative training, operational support and partnerships. The Global Complex will go beyond the traditional reactive law enforcement model. This new centre will provide proactive research into new areas and latest training techniques.

Europol’s EU Serious and Organised Crime Threat Assessment (SOCTA) is the product of systematic analysis of law enforcement information on criminal activities and groups affecting the EU. The SOCTA is designed to assist strategic decision-makers in the prioritisation of organised crime threats.