Fighting cross-border crimes

Minister Belmont addressing delegates at the official opening of the workshop Monday

Delegates from nine East African states are in Seychelles this week for an Interpol workshop designed to increase regional cooperation in fighting cross-border crimes.

Organised by the Eastern African Police Chief Corporation Organisation (EAPCC) and Interpol’s sub-regional bureau for East Africa (SRB), the week-long workshop, which was officially opened Monday October 27, is hosting officials from police and crime-fighting organisations, including the Seychelles Police Force, at the Berjaya Mahe Beach Hotel.

Angel Tamale, a coordinator with the Interpol’s SRB based in Nairobi, said that from a practical point of view, the primary aim of the workshop is to get law enforcement officials from the participating countries, which include South Africa, Uganda, Tanzania and others, conversant with standard Interpol operating procedures.

In addition to investigative techniques and conducting joint operations, Mr Tamale said the workshop would teach officials how to communicate and process appropriate information, and also how to interpret and prioritise the certain bits of information needed for specific investigations.

The workshop will especially focus on drug trafficking, poaching and the proliferation of firearms, which is considered to be an increasing problem in Africa, he said.

The ultimate goal, said Mr Tamale, is to have each country’s National Central Bureau (NCB) operate with the same standards and procedures as Interpol’s international bureau, allowing for seamless integration between NCBs and other bureaus.

Mr Tamale said that the Interpol SRB has already scored a number of victories against cross-border crime in East Africa by targeting the region’s main transit points.

One such victory was the apprehension of alleged drug trafficker Michel Bibi, a 35-year-old Seychellois man who was handed over to local authorities on August 7 after two years on the run in Kenya.

However, Mr Tamale said that many East African countries, including Seychelles, did not yet have the kind of detective equipment for other ports of entry, including the technology for scanning containers, which is highly expensive.

Tite Morin, the assistant commissioner for the Seychelles Police, said that the workshop should allow for quicker responses between law enforcement bodies.

Designated Minister Joseph Belmont, in an address to officially open the workshop, said that the meeting has come at an opportune time in the wake of increasing illegal activity.

“With the development of new technologies, such as the internet and mobile phones, it is becoming easier for criminal acts to be committed across borders,” he said.

The Institute for Security Studies, a not-for-profit research body based in Pretoria, South Africa, is sponsoring the workshop.

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