INTERPOL explained. What we do, what guides us, and why it matters. A thread 🧵

🚨Major ‘Ndrangheta arrest in Spain INTERPOL's Project I-CAN provided operational & analytical support, facilitating cooperation between Italian & Spanish authorities. A dangerous fugitive will now serve a 19-year sentence for drugs/arms trafficking, extortion & organized crime.

👤 511 investigations. 225 arrests. 500+ criminal entities identified. When criminal networks are dismantled, the environment is protected, communities are safer and economies are more resilient. Project Gaia contributes significantly to how INTERPOL makes that happen. At the Hamburg Sustainability Conference, @INTERPOL_EC presented the operational impact of Project Gaia which connects national police forces across the Americas, Asia and Africa to track down the criminal networks behind illegal mining, deforestation, wildlife trafficking, IUU fishing and waste pollution. Today, INTERPOL and @IKI_BMZ advanced Project Gaia into its next phase with a commitment of USD 1.5 million to strengthen the fight against transnational environmental crime. Strong partnerships deliver strong results. 🤝 ➡️ 🔗 bit.ly/3QQqwiT

🚨 UPDATE: Suspect admits to double murder in #IdentifyMe case Her name was Hakima Boukerouis. But for two decades she remained unidentified. Her remains were discovered in 2005 in a rainwater collector in the French village of Saint-Quirin. In April, French authorities announced her identification thanks to DNA familial searching. Now they have revealed that their main suspect—her husband—has admitted to her murder, as well as the murder of his son from a previous relationship. Led by the Gendarmerie Criminal Investigation Section in Metz, this case is one of six successful identifications linked to INTERPOL’s Identify Me, a public appeal for information on cold cases. The initiative also provides an opportunity for investigators to review case files and reexamine forensic data.

🫆 INTERPOL’s Biometric Hub provides law enforcement with instant access to fingerprints and facial recognition images from across INTERPOL’s global membership. This cutting-edge tool enables frontline officers to identify individuals of interest swiftly and accurately, whether at border crossings, airports, or checkpoints. With direct integration into national police systems, the Biometric Hub allows real-time checks from the field, extending beyond National Central Bureaus. Currently, 20% of all biometric queries stem from frontline operations, helping to disrupt criminal organizations and safeguard vulnerable people by flagging high-risk individuals instantly. Powered by @IDEMIA_PS, the Hub delivers results within seconds, reinforcing INTERPOL’s commitment to equipping law enforcement with the tools needed to protect communities worldwide.

Always a pleasure to welcome the President, Vice Presidents and Delegates of our Executive Committee to @INTERPOL_HQ. Since their last meeting in March at our Global Complex for Innovation in Singapore, I’ve taken further steps to strengthen INTERPOL’s effectiveness, modernize our operations and deepen our accountability. Ultimately, all our efforts - people, data and systems - are designed to strengthen our operational impact. Earlier this month, I attended the Annual General Meeting of Police Chiefs from the Southern African Development Community, where the Chief of Police of Eswatini expressed appreciation for an Operational Support Team deployed to assist in a cyber-enabled fraud investigation. This team, consisting of staff from our Regional Bureau in Harare, INTERPOL’s Financial Crime and Anti-Corruption Centre and Cybercrime Directorate, helped extract data, conduct digital analytics, and connect the case to other transnational crimes, including human trafficking – as well as identifying criminal assets in cryptocurrency. This is just one example. This year, we have already deployed 15 Operational Support Teams and conducted 28 coordinated operations - each one a demonstration of what INTERPOL can achieve when we combine expertise, technology, and collaboration. It also reflects something deeper: that everything we do must serve one purpose only: strengthening INTERPOL so it can better support the needs of our member countries. That is the true measure of our success.

One in every 10 children in Serbia were subjected to technology-facilitated sexual exploitation and abuse in just one year, according to new #DisruptingHarm research carried out by @ECPAT @INTERPOL_HQ @SafeOnline This represents some 36,000 children. 🔗 safeonline.global/serbia-eng…

🚨 Police ‘hackathon’ identifies sexual exploitation on content subscription sites Seven European countries have joined forces for a four-day ‘hackathon’ to target a human trafficking threat on subscription-based content platforms. Typically the criminal groups involved in these schemes masquerade as legitimate modelling agencies, luring victims with promises of income. Once engaged, they take control of their accounts, applying psychological pressure and coercion to produce increasingly explicit content. This emerging modus operandi was the subject of an INTERPOL Purple Notice earlier this year. Operation CyberProtect III - generated dozens of new leads, including: 🔵 34 suspicious cases 🔵 18 suspect profiles 🔵 27 potential victims, including women, minors and vulnerable adults The operation was co-organized by INTERPOL and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). ➡️🔗 Read more: interpol.int/News-and-Events…

New INTERPOL report highlights escalating cyber threats across Asia and South Pacific INTERPOL’s latest Asia and South Pacific Cyberthreat Assessment Report has revealed a dramatic increase in cybercrime across the region driven by rapid digitalization, new technologies and increasingly organized criminal networks. ➡️ The report found that more than half of the countries surveyed reported cybercrime now accounting for 30% of all crimes recorded nationally. Cyber-scam techniques such as phishing have emerged as the most widespread and financially damaging form of cybercrime, with 33% of countries reporting over 10,000 cases. Other key regional trends highlighted include: 🔵 Ransomware: More than 135,000 ransomware-related attacks, affecting sectors such as real estate, manufacturing and financial services. 🔵 DDoS attacks: A 92% increase in 2024 compared to the previous year. 🔵 AI-driven crime: Discussions about deepfakes on forums and channels popular among Southeast Asian threat actors increased by 600% from February to June 2024. 🔵 Phishing: 5.5 out of every 1,000 individuals had clicked on phishing links monthly – approximately twice the global average – with cloud applications the primary targets. 🔵 Data breaches: System intrusions accounted for approximately 80% of all data breaches, with malware and ransomware present in 83% and 51% of cases respectively. 🔗 Read more: interpol.int/News-and-Events…

There is no safer world without a safer Africa. In Southern Africa, crime threats are both enduring and evolving, and while many originate from far beyond national borders, their consequences are felt by local communities. Law enforcement stands on the frontline of this fight, often operating with limited resources and constrained capacities. Having served in a national police service in what is often referred to as the “Global South”, I understand what it means when local capacity is strained, resources are limited, and threats arriving at your borders come from far away. This is why I was honoured to speak at the 31st Annual General Meeting of the SADC Chiefs of Police Sub-Committee in Malawi 🇲🇼. My visit to Lilongwe was about listening to the needs of the region, through the voices of the region, as international support must be rooted in the realities on the ground. We will continue to tailor our support to local priorities: through our tools, operational assistance, capacity building and training. To all those leading the fight against crime in Southern Africa: your professionalism, dedication and cooperation are recognized. To the Southern African Development Community: our partnership is essential, and one I’m personally committed to strengthening. My thanks to Malawi’s Minister of Homeland Security Peter Mukhito; to the Chairperson of SARPCCO and Inspector General of the @malawi_police Richard Chakupaleza Chikoko Luhanga; to the Director of the @SADC_News Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Affairs Professor Kula Ishmael Theletsane; and to all the authorities and people of Malawi for their warm welcome and generous hospitality.

Today is the Int'l Day for the Fight Against Illegal, Unreported & Unregulated #IUUFishing 🎣 IUU fishing doesn't stop at sea. It's linked to human trafficking, drug trafficking, money laundering & document fraud. It threatens food security & the safety of vulnerable communities

📣CALL FOR SPEAKERS - Crimes and investigations in decentralized technologies - Legitimate services & gaming - #AI in police analytics - #Quantum and other new #tech Deadline: 25 June

47 unknown deceased women. 6 identified. 41 still waiting to have their names returned to them. Identify Me is INTERPOL’s public appeal to help identify women whose bodies were found across Europe in recent decades. 🔗 Do you recognize any of them? Visit our website.