INTERPOL President says Pacific link is crucial

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The President of the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), Mr Kim Jong Yang,said in remarks at the opening of the Pacific Islands Chiefs of Police Conference this morning that the South Pacific is a key region for international law enforcement cooperation..

He said the global community needs the insights from the Pacific.

“The voice of the region, the voice of the police oversessing their jurisdictions carries  great valuie in obtaining a true global, coperational picture in Interpol’s effort.

“In turn, frontline officers need a strong communication channel linking the nodes across this region and beyond the Pacific through the globe.”

The Interpol president  said earlier this year a Syrian national was arrested while attempting to enter the Philippines using a fake Kiribati passport, allegedly sold by a Jordanian national through a syndicate operating from Cambodia.

And just last week, six people were arrested in Australia and New Zealand and a record 766 kilograms of MDMA or ecstasy was seized in connection with a UK crime syndicate operating in the Pacific region.

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Mr Yang said Pacific Island Countries face a unique set of challenges, caught in the midst of the Pacific highway between major suppliers of illicit goods, large demand hubs and thousands of miles of coastline to monitor.

He said where opportunities to generate criminal proceeds exist,  criminal groups will strive to break into this space and ultimately,take root.

“And in the process transferring the technical skillsets developed abroad into the domestic theater.”

He added that this is especially true for drug production “where the same processes for the manufacturing of methamphetamines and synthetic opiods are regularly seen replicated across regions.”

Drug crimes is the main focus of the 48th meeting of the Pacific Islands Chiefs of Police Conference.