Interpol - An Overview of International Police Organisation

Interpol is the world’s largest international police organization. This article gives information on the origins of Interpol, its functions, organisational structure and issues faced by the organisation related to the war against COVID-19 pandemic. Learn more about the Classification of Interpol Notices given in the article.

Aspirants would find this topic very helpful while preparing for the IAS Exam.

Interpol – Introduction

Interpol is the world’s largest international police organization, with 194 member countries. 

1. Established in 1923, it enables cross-border police cooperation and supports and assists all organisations, authorities and services whose mission is to prevent or combat international crime. 
2. Interpol has an objective to facilitate international police cooperation even where diplomatic relations are not present between certain countries. 
3. Action is taken within the limits of existing laws in different countries and in the spirit of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Interpol’s constitution prohibits ‘any intervention or activities of a political, military, religious or racial character.’

Interpol – Functions

All the activities of the Interpol are mostly based on its 3 core functions discussed in the table below.

Interpol’s -Leadership

The international organization is led by a President and a Secretary-General who work in close tandem with each other and provide the required direction for the smooth functioning of the organization.

Interpol – Structure

According to Interpol’s Constitution, the organization comprises the following administrative departments:

1. General Assembly
2. General Secretariat
3. Executive Committee
4. National Central Bureaus 

The General Assembly and the Executive Committee form the organization’s governance.

General Assembly

The General Assembly of Interpol is responsible for taking all the important decisions related to the working methods, policies, finances, resources and other activities and programs.

• An annual meeting is held and attended by the delegates appointed by the respective member countries.
• Each country is represented by one or more delegates at the Assembly, who are typically chiefs of law enforcement agencies.
• The Assembly also elects the members of the Interpol Executive Committee, the governing body which “provides guidance and direction in between sessions of the Assembly”.

Executive Committee

The General Assembly elects this committee of 13 members which comprises of:

1. A President
2. 3 Vice Presidents
3. 9 Delegates that cover 4 different regions

General Secretariat

This organ of the Interpol works for 365 days 24/7.

1. The General Secretariat has 6 regional offices for efficient functioning:
   • Argentina (South America)
   • Côte d’Ivoire (West Africa)
   • El Salvador (Central America)
   • Kenya (East Africa)
   • Thailand (South East Asia)
   • Zimbabwe (Africa)
2. It has its headquarters in Lyon, France and a liaison office in New York, United States.

National Central Bureaus (NCB)

Each Interpol member country maintains a National Central Bureau staffed by national law enforcement officers. The NCB is the designated contact point for the General Secretariat, regional offices and other member countries requiring assistance with overseas investigations and the location and apprehension of fugitives.

Advisers

These are experts in a purely advisory capacity, who may be appointed by the Executive Committee and confirmed by the General Assembly.

Interpol Notices 

INTERPOL Notices are international requests for cooperation or alerts allowing police in member countries to share critical crime-related information.

To know what other problems affect the Indian Intelligence Architecture, visit the linked articles.

Aspirants must check the links provided below to prepare comprehensively for the upcoming UPSC examinations –

To know more about Central Investigative Agencies of India, visit the linked article.

Interpol and COVID-19

The International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) has warned member countries that cybercriminals were attempting to target hospitals and institutions on the front lines of the fight against COVID-19 with ransomware.

Issue:

Cybercriminals are using ransomware to hold hospitals and medical services digitally hostage, preventing them from accessing vital files and systems until a ransom is paid.

Details:

1. In an alert sent to 194 nations, including India, Interpol said organisations at the forefront of the global response to the COVID-19 outbreak had also become targets of ransomware attacks, which were designed to lock them out of their critical systems in an attempt to extort payments.
2. The agency’s Cybercrime Threat Response Team had detected an increase in the number of attempted ransomware attacks against key organisations and infrastructure engaged in the virus response.
3. Interpol also issued a ‘Purple Notice’. It is issued to seek or provide information on modus operandi, objects, devices and concealment methods used by criminals. 

Interpol and India

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is designated as the National Central Bureau of India.

Notices can also be used by the United Nations, International Criminal Tribunals and the International Criminal Court to seek persons wanted for committing crimes within their jurisdiction, notably genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.

1. The INTERPOL has issued a Red Corner Notice (RCN) against fugitive diamond merchant Nirav Modi’s brother Nehal in connection with the multi-billion dollar Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam.

INTERPOL UPSC Notes:- Download PDF Here

The above details would help candidates prepare for UPSC 2023.

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