Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan Inaugurates 10th INTERPOL Liaison Officers Conference in Delhi
The 10th INTERPOL Liaison Officers (ILO’s) Conference was inaugurated by Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan at the CBI Headquarters in Delhi. The event, organized by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), focused on ‘Strengthening International Law Enforcement Partnerships’ and coincided with the upcoming UN International Day of Police Cooperation.
Senior officers from various Central, State, and Union Territory law enforcement agencies, along with International Police Liaison Officers from several countries, participated in the conference. The inaugural session was also joined virtually by law enforcement personnel from across India and member countries of INTERPOL, EUROPOL, and GloBE networks.
Importance of International Cooperation
In his address, Govind Mohan highlighted the need for international police cooperation to tackle technology-enabled crimes that cross borders. He emphasized that the prevention, detection, investigation, and prosecution of crimes increasingly rely on digital and foreign-located evidence. He also stressed the importance of real-time cooperation among global law enforcement agencies to combat threats like terrorism, cybercrime, human trafficking, and more.
India’s Role in International Policing
Mohan mentioned that India has been an early member of INTERPOL and has taken significant steps to enhance international law enforcement cooperation. This includes a working arrangement with EUROPOL, joining the INTERPOL Global Academy Network, and participating in the International Child Sexual Exploitation (ICSE) database.
He also highlighted the role of the Global Operation Centre set up by CBI in 2022, which handles 200-300 requests for assistance daily. The MHA portal, launched in December 2022, has been a game-changer in streamlining international cooperation.
CBI Director’s Address
CBI Director Praveen Sood addressed the participants, emphasizing the global nature of modern crimes like terrorism, cyber-enabled financial crimes, and drug trafficking. He noted that the CBI’s Global Operation Centre handled 17,368 international assistance requests in 2023 and that INTERPOL issued 100 red notices for criminals wanted by Indian law enforcement agencies, the highest ever in a year.
Sood also mentioned that 29 wanted criminals were brought back to India in 2023, and 19 so far in 2024, thanks to international cooperation.
Sessions and Discussions
The conference included sessions on extradition, provisional arrest, local prosecution, and leveraging INTERPOL channels for investigating complex transnational crimes. The CBI, as the National Central Bureau for INTERPOL in India, connects all law enforcement agencies in the country through designated INTERPOL Liaison Officers.
The ILO’s Conference has been organized by CBI since 2003 to enhance international police cooperation in combating crime and criminals.
Doubts Revealed
Union Home Secretary -: The Union Home Secretary is a senior official in the Indian government who helps manage the country’s internal security and law enforcement.
Govind Mohan -: Govind Mohan is the name of the current Union Home Secretary of India.
INTERPOL -: INTERPOL is an international organization that helps police in different countries work together to solve crimes.
Liaison Officers -: Liaison Officers are people who help different organizations or countries communicate and work together.
CBI -: CBI stands for Central Bureau of Investigation, which is India’s main agency for investigating serious crimes.
CBI Headquarters -: The CBI Headquarters is the main office of the Central Bureau of Investigation, located in Delhi.
Global Operation Centre -: The Global Operation Centre is a special part of the CBI that works with other countries to fight international crimes.
Cybercrime -: Cybercrime refers to crimes that involve computers or the internet, like hacking or stealing information online.
Terrorism -: Terrorism is the use of violence or threats to create fear, usually for political reasons.
