Transnational Organized Crime is spinning new markets across the world, and the illegal economy is being sustained by new forms of crimes.
The Vice-President of International Criminal Police Organisation, INTERPOL, Garba Umar of Nigeria, drew the attention of West African Police Chiefs at a meeting in Nouakchott, capital city of Mauritania on Wednesday, to the worrisome situation.
Garba Umar, who was speaking at a meeting of Heads of West African National Bureaus of INTERPOL in West Africa, said the illegal economy created by transnational crimes goes beyond culture, linguistic and geographical boundaries.
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He called on the Police Chiefs to work out more robust operational strategies and push for strong legal frameworks to tackle the situation.
The Chairman of the West African Police Chiefs Committee (WAPCCO) and Nigeria’s Inspector-General of Police, Kayide Egbetokun observed that the INTERPOL has done a lot to respond to the emerging crimes but noted that the challenge keeps changing both course and pattern.
The Inspector-General, who was represented by Garba Umar, promised that the INTERPOL and WAPCCO will continue to work harder to provide security for their citizens in the region.
Egbetokun also noted that globalization and advancement in technology were creating crimes such as cybercrime, financial fraud, high-level immorality, and misinformation, all of which have become new challenges that the Police must rise up to.
He observed that, to tackle the challenges and help to create a safe, stable, and happy society, the Police must liaise with government agencies and international organizations like INTERPOL and others.
The two days meeting in the Mauritania capital of Nouakchott was to take stock, review strategies, and create a roadmap for INTERPOL operations in West Africa.
(Editor: Ken Eseni)
