The 10th INTERPOL Liaison Officers (ILOs) Conference was inaugurated by Govind Mohan, Union Home Secretary of India, at the CBI Headquarters in New Delhi. The conference, organized by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), aimed to strengthen international law enforcement partnerships, with a focus on combating transnational crimes.
*Union Home Secretary Emphasizes International Cooperation*
In his inaugural address, Govind Mohan highlighted the importance of international police cooperation in tackling technology-enabled crimes that transcend borders. He emphasized the need for close coordination and real-time cooperation among law enforcement agencies globally to address threats such as terrorism, organized crime, and cybercrime.
“The international dispersal of crime and criminals has enhanced the need for investigation abroad. Prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of crime is increasingly reliant on digital evidence and foreign located evidence”. Said Govind Mohan.
Home Secretary further added “New age crimes, including cyber enabled financial crimes, online radicalization and transnational organized crime networks, are not confined by borders. In an increasingly interconnected world, the importance of international police cooperation cannot be overstated”.
*CBI Director Addresses Participants*
Praveen Sood, Director of CBI, stated that law enforcement professionals need to be well-acquainted with various means of coordinating international assistance in criminal matters. He emphasized the importance of international cooperation in combating globalized poly-crimes and threats.
Praveen Sood, Director, CBI stated that “The world today faces a multitude of grave and globalized poly-crimes and threats like terrorism, online radicalization, cyber enabled financial crimes, online child sexual exploitation, corruption, drug trafficking, terror financing and organized crime. Police in India have been at the forefront of addressing these challenges through a combination of robust legal framework, innovative initiatives, leveraging technology and proactive international cooperation.”
*Conference Sessions and Expert Roundtable*
The conference featured sessions on international mutual legal assistance, extradition, and provisional arrest. An expert roundtable discussion on strengthening international law enforcement partnerships involved speakers from various countries, including Germany, USA, Japan, UK, Chile, and Nepal.
*CBI’s Role in International Cooperation*
The CBI, as the National Central Bureau (NCB) for INTERPOL in India, connects all law enforcement agencies in India through designated INTERPOL Liaison Officers. The conference aimed to enhance the utilization of formal and informal means of international police cooperation to combat crime, criminals, and proceeds of crime.