Category: Interpol

OHRID, North Macedonia – Strengthening international police cooperation to counter the rapidly escalating threat posed by organized crime networks was the key focus of INTERPOL’s 50^th European Regional Conference.

The three-day (8-10 May) conference brings together more than 140 participants from 53 countries in Europe and beyond to discuss the most pressing crime issues facing the region.

The conference takes place in Ohrid, North Macedonia, which itself marks 30 years as an INTERPOL member country this year.

“These past 30 years, through our membership in the world’s largest police organization, have witnessed our commitment and willingness to be engaged in global police cooperation,” said Oliver Spasovski, Minister of Interior of the Republic of North Macedonia, in remarks during the conference’s opening ceremony.

“With the establishment of the global INTERPOL I-24/7 communication system, our country was among the first to connect with this global police family, to exchange information between members and the General Secretariat, as well as directly access global criminal databases,” the Minister added.

Unprecedented scale

Fueled by historic levels of drug trafficking, organized crime groups are increasingly posing a direct threat to state authority in many countries, and there is evidence that levels of violence related to these criminal networks is also increasing.

“Organized crime is a top concern,” said INTERPOL President Ahmed Naser al-Raisi in the conference’s opening ceremony. “These transnational crimes not only threaten the safety and security of the region, but also have a spillover effect on the rest of the world.”

Last month, INTERPOL announced its largest ever firearms trafficking operations, which saw more than 14,000 suspects arrested across Central and South America, and an unprecedented USD 5.7 billion in illegal narcotics seized.

“Over the last five years, [drug] trafficking and consumption have increased by an order of magnitude, with Europe one of the main transit and destination markets,” said INTERPOL Secretary General Jürgen Stock.

“We continue to see record seizures at European borders and ports, and a corresponding rise in violent crime, corruption and money laundering of unprecedented scale,” added Secretary General Stock.

The global scale of many organized crime networks, often spanning multiple continents, has underlined that international cooperation through INTERPOL is often the only means for police in Europe and other regions to bring fugitives to justice or gather crucial intelligence.

European crime landscape

Beyond drug trafficking, the results of INTERPOL’s 2022 Global Crime Trend report, which surveyed police across the Organization’s 195-country membership, show that money laundering and cyber or cyber-enabled crimes also top European law enforcement’s list of concerns.

Money laundering ranked second among the crime trends most frequently indicated by member countries in the region as posing a ‘high’ or ‘very high’ threat, with financial fraud also ranking very high.

The report notes that the use of online tools by criminals to perpetrate financial fraud schemes has also rapidly expanded in recent years, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Especially concerning, 76 per cent of police respondents from Europe expect online child sexual exploitation and abuse to increase or increase significantly in the next three to five years.

The report notes that the demand for livestreaming abuse has steadily increased in recent years, likely intensifying during the pandemic. While live distance child abuse most often take place in Southeast Asia, cases in the European Union have also recently been detected.

Keeping Europe safe

Founded in the heart of Europe – in Vienna – during the region’s interwar period 100 years ago, INTERPOL’s history is closely intertwined with that of Europe.

Established in a 1920s context of geopolitical upheaval and concerns of rising international crime, the Organization’s founding representatives agreed that only through collaboration could police combat transnational crime threats – a common goal shared throughout periods of political or economic tension.

Later, in one of the Organization’s darkest chapters, the Nazis assumed control of the International Criminal Police Commission – as INTERPOL was then called – after deposing its President. In 1946, Belgium spearheaded INTERPOL’s rebuilding in the new postwar era.

Today, European member countries remain global leaders in their use of and contribution to INTERPOL capabilities – and this activity is quickly growing. With regards to INTERPOL databases, European member countries contribute more records, undertake more searches and – crucially – receive more hits than any other region.

New historical peaks for records, searches and hits in INTERPOL databases from European member countries were reached in 2022. In the past year alone, searches of INTERPOL databases by European law enforcement have risen by nearly a third.

The figures underscore the fundamental place INTERPOL capabilities occupy in European countries’ approaches to keeping their communities safe.

OHRID, North Macedonia – Three days of discussions between senior police officers from 53 countries in Europe and the wider INTERPOL membership have led to a call for greater coordination to effectively combat the region’s most pressing security threats.

INTERPOL’s 50th European Regional Conference saw delegates adopt recommendations to more closely align international efforts in a range of strategic areas, including counterterrorism, illicit trafficking and the sharing of police data.

The meeting took place as Europe faces a historic peak in the production of illegal narcotics, which has strengthened organized crime groups and led to an accompanying rise in violent crime across the region.

“The globalized nature of crime means that our respective borders are only as strong as our weakest links,” said Stephen Kavanagh, INTERPOL Executive Director of Police Services.

“The data contributed to INTERPOL is a contribution not just to national or regional security, but to global security,” Mr Kavanagh added.

No alternative

A panel featuring leaders from European Union law enforcement bodies Europol and Frontex focused on the need for greater alignment between INTERPOL and regional policing bodies, to build a global model for a police data-sharing architecture and ensure Global Policing Goals are aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

“The most important part of international police cooperation is information exchange,” said Peter De Buysscher, INTERPOL Vice President for Europe, who chaired the conference. “We need a global data-sharing framework. There is no alternative.”

The volume of data in policing has increased dramatically in recent years, opening up new investigative opportunities but also posing data management challenges. At the international level, there is a crucial need to minimize duplication and increase alignment so that investigators or frontline officers have access to the right information when they need it.

Joint initiatives such as FIELDS, which brings together capabilities from INTERPOL and Frontex into a unified system that helps border officials spot fraudulent travel and identity documents, was highlighted as a concrete example of successful alignment.

What drug traffickers fear

European police leaders also discussed the rapidly evolving state of play with regards to drug trafficking and the organized crime groups behind the illicit trade.

The adaptability of networks was identified as a key challenge to enforcement, with groups often working across national and regional lines to secure ever-greater profits. To effectively combat such networks, police must be just as adaptive and even more collaborative.

Recent successes in INTERPOL initiatives such as the I-CAN project targeting the ‘Ndrangheta mafia group, closely involved in bringing cocaine from Latin America into Europe, were highlighted as examples of innovative international police cooperation.

Launched in 2020, I-CAN has already produced results that have “exceeded expectations”, according to  one conference speaker, with more than 40 high-profile arrests and tens of thousands of pieces of intelligence exchanged.

“This is what drug traffickers fear,” said one closing speaker. “All of us in the same room, working together, exchanging information and breaking down walls.”

LYON, France – In the biggest firearms operation ever coordinated by INTERPOL, authorities in Central and South America have made 14,260 arrests and seized some 8,263 illicit firearms, as well as 305,000 rounds of ammunition.

With illicit firearms used by criminals to commit armed robberies and murder, they are also closely associated with the proliferation of a wide range of other crimes using the same trafficking routes.

The links between illicit firearms and drug manufacturing and trafficking were thrown into sharp relief, with the seizure of 203 tonnes of cocaine and other drugs together worth some USD 5.7 billion, and 372 tonnes of drug precursors during Operation Trigger IX (12 March – 2 April).

Law enforcement across INTERPOL’s 195 member countries have reported record drug seizures in the past year and, in many cases, a spike in drug-related violence, fueled by the traffic of illegal firearms.

The operation, which saw an unprecedented level of cooperation across 15 countries, also identified a range of other crimes such as corruption, fraud, human trafficking, environmental crime and terrorist activities.

Operational highlights

INTERPOL gathered firearms experts from participating countries at an operational hub in Foz do Iguaçu in the tri-border area of Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay, to support frontline actions and ensure the swift exchange and cross-checking of intelligence.

On the ground, coordinated actions led to the disruption of 20 organized criminal groups, including the arrest of members of Primeiro Comando da Capital, Mara Salvatrucha and the Balkans Cartel, all involved in firearms trafficking.

In Uruguay, 100,000 pieces of ammunition trafficked internationally by two European nationals were seized by authorities, marking the country’s largest-ever such seizure.

Authorities in Brazil and Paraguay shut down several firearms dealerships following the identification of irregular transfers and unlicensed sales.

Other operational results include:

• 11 victims were rescued in Paraguay, when authorities dismantled a human trafficking ring.
• In cooperation with Venezuela, police in Colombia arrested a Venezuelan national subject to an INTERPOL Red Notice for terrorism and arms trafficking.
• A 32 year old woman was arrested at the land border between Paraguay and Brazil with eight pistols and 16 chargers taped to her body.

Looking ahead, some 30 investigations were opened as a result of actions on the ground, and authorities identified 15 new modus operandi for the illicit manufacturing, trafficking and concealment of firearms, with INTERPOL’s Purple Notice leveraged to help alert member countries.

INTERPOL’s global reach

“The fact that an operation targeting illicit firearms resulted in such massive drugs seizures is further proof, if needed, that these crimes are intertwined,” said INTERPOL Secretary General Jürgen Stock.

“The results, coming just weeks after our Americas Regional Conference was highlighting the need for greater information sharing on these linked organized crime activities, also demonstrate the unique value of INTERPOL in supporting efforts in the field.  

“The organized crime networks behind all of these illicit activities have only one priority, which is profit. We, as law enforcement, must be equally determined to dismantle them across every region and globally,” concluded Secretary General Stock.

Valdecy Urquiza, INTERPOL’s Vice-President for the Americas, highlighted the value of joint initiatives such as Trigger IX in prioritizing national and regional efforts against illicit flows. “Intelligence-led investigations and operations enable police to cooperate internationally and remove illicit firearms from circulation to protect the public,” said Mr Urquiza.

INTERPOL global tools used by investigators during the operation include the Illicit Arms Records and Tracing Management System (iARMS), the only global database of illicit firearms, including stolen, lost and trafficked/smuggled firearms.

Authorities also had immediate access to the INTERPOL Ballistic Information Network (IBIN), enabling law enforcement officials to compare images of ballistic fingerprints from fired casings and projectiles to establish links between crimes worldwide.

Tracing the history and ownership of recovered firearms provides crucial investigative leads. Every firearm is unique and can be identified by its serial number, make, model and calibre as well as by its ballistic ‘fingerprint’. Comparing ballistics evidence of recovered cartridge casings and ammunition is therefore crucial to investigations.

During the operation, INTERPOL’s Firearms Programme was supported by INTERPOL’s Regional Bureaus in Argentina and El Salvador, its Drugs and Fugitives units, and its Command and Coordination Centre.

More than 100 national law enforcement agencies were involved in the operation, including the collaboration of US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), which supported participating countries.

Participating countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay.

Operation Trigger IX was funded by the European Union and carried out under the framework of Project Disrupt.

LYON, France: The Saudi Arabian Minister of Interior, Prince Abdulaziz Bin Saud Bin Naif Bin Abdulaziz, met with INTERPOL President Ahmed Naser Al-Raisi and INTERPOL Secretary General Valdecy Urquiza at the organization’s Lyon headquarters.

The visit underscored INTERPOL’s strong cooperation with Saudi Arabia, which is set to host the organization’s Regional Bureau for the Middle East and North Africa.

President Al-Raisi said:

“INTERPOL greatly values the strong partnership with Saudi Arabia in tackling global security threats. The visit of the Minister of Interior to INTERPOL’s headquarters underlines the Kingdom’s commitment to international police cooperation and our shared determination to confront transnational crime through collaboration, innovation, and trust.”

Prince Abdulaziz Bin Saud said:

“Today’s visit reflects Saudi Arabia’s continued commitment to supporting INTERPOL and strengthening international cooperation in combating cross-border crime.  The Kingdom values INTERPOL’s vital role in enhancing collaboration between security agencies worldwide, a partnership which is crucial to global security and stability.”

Prince Abdulaziz Bin Saud and his delegation were briefed by INTERPOL officials on police capabilities targeting cybercrime, financial fraud and other emerging crime threats.

The Minister was also updated on the progress of INTERPOL’s I-CORE programme to modernize international police cooperation, which has benefited from the financial support of Saudi Arabia.

Secretary General Urquiza said:

“Saudi Arabia has shown important leadership in driving the digital transformation of international police cooperation. The Kingdom’s generous support for INTERPOL’s I-CORE programme is accelerating our efforts to build a more connected and effective global policing architecture.”

Prince Abdulaziz Bin Saud was accompanied by Hesham Al-Faleh, Assistant Minister of Interior and Fahd bin Mayouf Al-Ruwaili, Ambassador of The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to France, alongside other senior national security leaders.

LYON, France – An INTERPOL report released on International Anti-Corruption Day underlines the scale of criminal activity tied to the forestry sector and the importance of coordinating anti-corruption efforts to protect forests.
 
Among its key findings, the report entitled Uncovering the Risks of Corruption in the Forestry Sector estimates that the annual global cost of corruption in the forestry sector is worth some USD 29 billion.
 
It also found that bribery is reported as the most common form of corruption in the forestry sector. Other forms of corruption include fraud, abuse of office, extortion, cronyism and nepotism.
 
The report says that criminal networks use corruption and bribe officials to establish ‘safe passage’ for the illegal movement of timber. Criminal groups also exploit these routes to transport other illicit goods such as drugs and firearms.
 
It includes an example from Peru where the mayor of an important timber trading city was arrested for his involvement in drug trafficking through plywood shipments. The mayor controlled a timber business that had been used to strategically build a logistical network for bribing officials to move illegally harvested timber out of the country.
 
Using this network, the mayor and other drug traffickers were able to move cocaine hidden in plywood shipments. Upon arrest, police seized assets worth USD 71 million which could not be accounted for.
 
“By raising awareness and documenting current corruption practices as well as potential solutions, we empower law enforcement officers in the field. This increases the chances of criminals getting caught and is one of the greatest deterrents to corruption,” said INTERPOL Secretary General Jürgen Stock.

“An international, coordinated response is an essential part of the solution to combat the organized transnational criminal groups involved in forestry crime. Our collective goal must be to turn corruption into a high risk, low profit activity,” added the Head of INTERPOL.

To this end the key measures that the report recommends include capacity building across the entire law enforcement chain, enhanced financial investigation techniques, and adoption of INTERPOL’s I-24/7 global secure communications network for anti-corruption investigators.

In 2012, INTERPOL launched Project Leaf to counter various aspects of forestry crime, including illegal logging and timber trafficking, and related crimes such as corruption.

Under the Project, INTERPOL can issue international notices and alerts on behalf of member countries to request information on, and warn of, the movements and activities of people, vehicles and vessels.
 
It can also organize national and regional training sessions relevant to forestry crime, including evidence collection, chain-of-custody and operational planning.

Funded by the Norwegian Agency for Development, Project Leaf works in collaboration with UN Environment to help shape a global response to forestry crime.

LYON, France – An INTERPOL-led operation has resulted in police across the Americas dismantling 34 criminal networks involved in the production and distribution of fake and illicit goods worth tens of millions of dollars.

More than 650 interventions were made by police and customs officials across eight countries during the two-week (1 – 15 October) Operation Jupiter 2016, with nearly 240 individuals arrested or placed under investigation.

With millions of dollars in profits being made through smuggling and counterfeiting operations, the criminal groups do not hesitate to use force in defending their networks and operational bases, meaning many of the interventions had to be conducted with support from specialized armed riot forces.

Food, mobile phones, toys, alcohol and electronic components were among the more than three million fake items worth an estimated USD 93 million seized alongside drugs, guns and ammunition. Information shared via I-24/7, INTERPOL’s secure police communications network, during the operation is now being analysed against the Organization’s databases to identify potential links with other criminal networks.

In Argentina officers intercepted two containers marked as a charitable donation of hospital equipment and supplies, but which also held USD 1 million worth of illegally imported computers, professional film making equipment and drones. Checks of the hospital supplies showed them to be either expired or in poor condition and some containing clinical waste substances posing a serious risk of infection.

Officers in Brazil seized more than 10,000 illegally imported used car batteries, many of which were improperly stored and leaking sulphuric acid and lead – both carcinogenic substances – into the soil, risking contamination of the local water supply.

In Chile, police dismantled two illegal workshops, one broadcasting paid TV channels without authorisation and the other counterfeiting music. In Colombia, intelligence gathered during the operation led to the identification of five criminal groups involved in the production and smuggling of fuel, clothes, alcohol and food.

Officials in Paraguay identified and shut down an illicit tobacco factory and Peruvian National Police dismantled a total of 25 workshops producing a range of illicit goods including clothing, soft drinks, alcohol as well as fake designer labels and tags.

“Operation Jupiter provides an opportunity to harmonize our efforts in combating the criminal networks behind counterfeiting and smuggling operations across the region,” said Vicente Romero Fernandez, Director General of the Peruvian National Police.

“Peru is committed to tackling this form of criminality and also engaging the public to make them aware that buying fake or illicitly traded goods are not bargains, but potentially life-threatening products which fund organized crime networks,” added Director General Fernandez.

The operation was preceded by a planning meeting and capacity building training course at INTERPOL’s Regional Bureau in Buenos Aires. The session, supported by the US Patent and Trademark Office, brought together 40 investigators from nine countries and private sector partners to share intelligence and investigative techniques against counterfeiting and illicit trade.

Countries which took part in Operation Jupiter 2016: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay.

Washington DC, USA – More than 80 per cent of countries consider environmental crime a national priority, with the majority saying new and more sophisticated criminal activities increasingly threaten peace and security.

INTERPOL and UN Environment surveyed close to 70 countries for their new joint report, ‘Environment, Peace and Security – A Convergence of Threats’, released today at the Law, Justice and Development Week 2016 hosted by the World Bank in Washington DC.

The report focuses on the links between global environmental crime, valued at USD 91 – 258 billion annually, and other criminal activities, including organized crime and terrorism.

More than 60 per cent of surveyed countries stated they were witnessing new environmental crimes or modus operandi, indicating growing sophistication and adaptation by transnational organized crime groups.

In addition, 84 per cent reported a convergence with other serious crimes, such as corruption (42 per cent), counterfeiting (39 per cent), drug trafficking (36 per cent), cybercrime (23 per cent) and financial crime (17 per cent).

INTERPOL Secretary General Jürgen Stock said: “Environmental crime is transnational in scope and insidious in nature. It robs governments of much-needed revenues, people of their livelihoods, and communities of peace and security. The international community needs to support a comprehensive approach by following rhetoric with action, policy with implementation and law with enforcement.”

The report found that some non-state armed groups, terrorist groups and criminal networks fund their activities by exploiting natural resources in conflict areas, posing a serious threat to peace and security. It is estimated that at least 40 per cent of internal conflicts have a link to natural resources.

“The time has come to meet the threat of environmental crime with a coordinated response from member states, international organizations and the United Nations. Such a response must address the need for improved information sharing, enhanced protection of civilians, better law enforcement and a deeper understanding of the drivers of conflicts,” said Erik Solheim, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Head of UN Environment.

With environmental crime sometimes viewed as an alternative to poverty for low-income populations, their needs are exploited by criminal groups which rely on them for activities, such as illegal poaching, logging, fishing or mining.

The report recommends, among others: a multidisciplinary approach to tackling environmental crime; greater information exchange across sectors; increased focus on the implementation of environmental policy; and stronger financial support including through Official Development Assistance.

The report’s publication follows the resolution adopted at the 71st session of the UN General Assembly in November which calls for enhanced cooperation between the UN and INTERPOL against transnational crime and terrorism.

An INTERPOL-led border security operation across West Africa has resulted in the arrest of human traffickers, migrant smugglers and the seizure of drugs, stolen vehicles, cash and counterfeit goods.

During the eight-day (14 – 21 November) Operation Adwenpa II, more than 100 frontline officers used INTERPOL global policing capabilities to identify criminals, victims and illicit goods at 28 key border control points across 14 countries.

With several of the involved countries part of key people smuggling routes to Europe, at the Kourémalé checkpoint on the Mali/Guinea border, seven Guinean nationals were arrested on suspicion of facilitating the illegal immigration of seven men and women aged between 16 and 22, heading towards Italy.

At the same checkpoint, 10 men being trafficked to Europe via Libya and to gold mines in Guinea were rescued and two men arrested on suspicion of human trafficking.

At Dakola on the Burkina Faso/Ghana border, seven children from Cote d’Ivoire aged between 11 and 16 were taken into protective custody and two men from Nigeria and Cote d’Ivoire arrested on suspicion of human trafficking.

Other key results include:

• The seizure of more than 20 vehicles – including luxury cars from Belgium, France and Italy – recorded as stolen via INTERPOL databases;
• Multiple seizures of drugs including cocaine, cannabis, heroine and 90 kg of methamphetamine;
• The identification, arrest and extradition from Dakar’s Léopold-Sédar-Senghor airport of a Central African Republic national wanted by France for armed robbery;
• The recovery of USD 332,000 in cash concealed in luggage and vehicles;
• The seizure of counterfeit goods including cigarettes, pharmaceuticals and food products. Fake military badges and uniforms were also seized.

“INTERPOL clearly recognizes the severity of the transnational organized crime problem in this region, and has made it a priority to provide a wide range of tools and services to help member countries reinforce their border security procedures and coordinate police action with their neighbours,” said Commissaire Divisionnaire Kambile Pale Elie of the Cote d’Ivoire National Police.

INTERPOL National Central Bureaus coordinated activities on the ground, exchanging real-time data via INTERPOL’s global policing network supported by specialized officers from the General Secretariat and the Regional Bureau in Cote d’Ivoire.

Checks of airline passengers and crew were also made against INTERPOL’s databases to determine if any individuals were attempting to illegally enter countries using a passport reported lost or stolen to INTERPOL, or were wanted internationally.

“Operation Adwenpa II demonstrates what can be achieved when law enforcement officers on the ground are given the INTERPOL training and tools needed to detect crime and criminals effectively,” said Tim Morris, INTERPOL’s Executive Director of Police Services.

“West Africa’s border management capacity has been boosted in a sustainable manner, demonstrating the importance of INTERPOL’s global capabilities and support services in strengthening national and regional security,” added Mr Morris.

Funded by the German Federal Foreign Office, Adwenpa II builds on the success of the first operation conducted in February as part of a two-year Capacity Building Programme to Strengthen Border Management in West Africa.

With sustainability an integral part of the programme, a series of capacity building training sessions including a train-the-trainer session were held throughout West Africa prior to the operation.

Operation Adwenpa II partners include WCO, UNODC, and INTERPOL’s FormaTrain network which deployed vehicle identification experts to key land borders.

Countries which participated in Operation Adwenpa II: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo.

LYON, France – A major operation against human trafficking has resulted in the detection of 1,194 potential victims and the arrest of 158 suspects. As part of ongoing investigations, an additional 205 human trafficking suspects have also been identified.

The global crackdown focused on trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation, forced criminality and forced begging, with a special focus on underage victims. The operation engaged nearly 15,000 officers from 43 different countries and involved police, border guards, labour inspectors, as well as tax and customs authorities.

Operation Global Chain (1 – 6 June 2025) was led by law enforcement in Austria and Romania, with coordination and support from INTERPOL, Europol and Frontex. It aimed to detect and disrupt high value targets and organized crime groups – responsible for most human trafficking cases – as well as safeguarding victims, identifying criminal assets and initiating follow-up investigations.

Potential victims were reported from 64 different countries, with a majority from Romania, Ukraine, Colombia and China. Many of the victims had been trafficked across borders, and even continents, underlying the transnational nature of human trafficking schemes.  The majority of the victims of sexual exploitation identified through the operation were adult females. In contrast, underage victims were more commonly exploited through forced begging or forced criminal activities such as pickpocketing. Safeguarding these victims is often particularly challenging, as many are exploited by members of their own families.

Operational highlights:

• Federal police in Brazil took down a trafficking ring that recruited victims through fake job ads, then trafficked them to Myanmar for sexual exploitation. A victim in southeast Asia was added to an INTERPOL Blue Notice, allowing her to be monitored for safety and subsequently rescued.
• Montenegro reported 13 potential human trafficking victims, including six children who were exploited on the streets through forced begging. Following detection, the minors, who had been recruited by their parents and family members, received support from local authorities.
• In Italy, police raided several massage parlours with suspected links to sexual exploitation, identifying 75 potential trafficking victims from Romania, China, and Colombia, and seizing drugs and firearms. One Italian suspect was arrested on trafficking charges. Five others from Italy, Tunisia, Colombia and the Philippines were arrested for other crimes. Several apartments used for forced prostitution were seized by the authorities.
• Ukraine authorities carried out an undercover operation which exposed a scheme to recruit and transport women to Berlin for sexual exploitation. A Ukrainian woman was arrested after a search of her devices revealed evidence of online profiles advertising sexual services in Germany.
• Romanian police carried out house searches, summoned 11 witnesses and arrested nine individuals for the trafficking of eight child victims, aged 7 to 15, for the purpose of forced begging.
• Austrian law enforcement arrested seven suspected human traffickers and safeguarded eight women, dismantling a Romanian family-based organized crime group active in several EU countries. The group used the ‘lover-boy method’, a technique that lures in victims under the false pretense of a relationship. Victims were eventually subject to sexual exploitation and forced criminality.

During the operation, potential victims were reported from 64 different countries.

43 different countries participated in Operation Global Chain.

The global operation involved police, border guards, labour inspectors, as well as tax and customs authorities, including these officers in Moldova.

The operation aimed to detect and disrupt high value targets and organized crime groups – responsible for most human trafficking cases.

Operation Global Chain: On top of the 158 arrests, an additional 205 human trafficking suspects have been identified as part of ongoing operations.

Brazilian police rescued a victim in southeast Asia via an INTERPOL Blue Notice.

Ukrainian police carried out an undercover operation which exposed a trafficking scheme.

Operation Global Chain led to the opening of 182 new investigations, including 15 transnational cases, as well as the publication of 14 new INTERPOL Notices and Diffusions.

Significant seizures were also made, including:

• EUR 277,669 in cash
• One tonne of cannabis
• 899 units of other narcotics
• 30 firearms
• 15 explosive components
• 65 fraudulent documents
• 5 real estate proprieties

David Caunter, Director pro tempore of Organized and Emerging Crime at INTERPOL, said:

“Human trafficking is a brutal and devastating crime that strips people of their dignity, freedom, and humanity, preying on the most vulnerable, including children. Operation Global Chain demonstrates the global nature of these criminal schemes and the power of international cooperation in disrupting them.”

A transnational response to a transnational threat

INTERPOL, Europol, and Frontex supported the operation through joint international coordination efforts. To assist officers on the ground and facilitate real-time information exchange, a coordination center was established at the Frontex headquarters in Warsaw, Poland. The center was staffed by 33 officials from participating countries, including experts deployed from INTERPOL, Europol, Ameripol and Frontex.  INTERPOL also provided access to its global databases and international Notices, in addition to delivering investigative and analytical support for cases that emerged or advanced during the operation.

Throughout the operation days, countries acted on shared intelligence to raid known locations and carry out seizures. Law enforcement was also stepped up at hotspots and key transport hubs to identify both victims and suspects.

During the six-day operation officers checked:

• 924,392 people
• 842,281 ID documents
• 181, 954 vehicles
• 5,745 flights and vessels
• 20,783 locations

Operation Global Chain was carried out under the framework of the European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats (EMPACT), with funding from INTERPOL’s I-FORCE Project and the German Federal Foreign Office.

Participating countries: Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Colombia, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kosovo*, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Ukraine, United Kingdom, and Vietnam.

* This designation is without prejudice to positions on status and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.