By Akani Nkuna
Collaborative action is needed amongst police leaders in Africa to fight transnational crimes, which are a major hindrance to good governance and enable corruption through the flow of illicit goods, money and resources, says acting police minister Firoz Cachalia.
“We recognise that transnational organised crimes undermine development and corrodes governance by weakening institutions, fuelling corruption and diverting resources. It impedes our ability to achieve the aspirations of Agenda 2063 of the African Union and the sustainable development goals of the United Nations,” he said on Wednesday.
“This is why we are committed to working alongside our partners in Africa and across the world to find lasting solutions.”
Cachalia was speaking at the 27th Interpol African Regional Conference in Cape Town, where he underscored the magnitude of the threat posed by transnational organised crimes against governments.
He called for contemporary strategies that addressed new age threats.
The conference is being hosted in South Africa for the first time, under the theme “Leveraging Cooperation, Innovation and Partnerships for Fighting Transnational Organised Crime”.
It brings together police leaders from 40 countries in Africa to find solutions to deal with crime, such as human trafficking and cybercrime, by consolidating resources and joint operations with Interpol.
Cachalia said economic cohesion was crucial in aiding efforts to combat crime. He called for a deepening of collaboration between African police bosses to ensure seamless communication, information sharing and operational coordination across jurisdictions.
“We have to find to solutions to deal with transnational organised crime because it impacts safety and security, plus economic development. I wish to emphasise the importance of enhancing and strengthening the role of the Interpol Regional and National Centre Bureaus,” he added.
“These institutions are critical modes in our collective security architecture. Their effectiveness determines our ability to prevent, detect, investigate and prosecute complex cross border crime.”
Interpol president Major-General Ahmed Naser Al-Raisi highlighted that investment in Africa must be intentional to address specific needs in light of the continent’s economic hardships to ensure that that crime combating endeavours were effective.
“We are committed to optimising the services we provide, fostering deeper collaboration and ensuring our tools and resources meet your needs and goals. Our investment in Africa goes beyond technology and training. We continuously strive to understand and address the evolving needs of the continent,” AI-Raisi said.
He further commended the continent’s law enforcement officers of cracking down on serious crime including terrorism, financial fraud and environmental offences over the past 12 months.
Joint Interpol and police operations had led to 9987 trafficked and kidnapped people being rescued and 6501 illegal immigrants identified and returned to their respective countries.
“Law enforcement authorities have confiscated more than 30,000kg of cocaine, close to 137kg of cannabis and 63,000 capsules of Betamethadol and 8.7 million doses of illicit pharmaceuticals.
“These achievements reflect the dedication and effectiveness of African law enforcement in protecting communities and dismantling criminal networks,” AI-Raisi added.
Meanwhile, SAPS National Commissioner Lt General Fannie Masemola urged the continent’s police chiefs to strengthen institutions of law to adequately address challenges of criminality with rigour and precision.
“The only way to protect the continent is to build strong institutions, share intelligence, harmonise our legal frameworks and strengthen trust amongst our nation. This conference is an opportunity to chart a course forward to anticipate, prevent and neutralise threats before they undermine our progress,” he said.
The conference will establish an Interpol African Committee to spearhead efforts to deal with crime specifically within the African context.
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