Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday exhorted the Interpol to formulate prospective plans for the next 50 years to cope with the changing modes of crimes. He also underscored the need for defining terms like “terrorism” and “terrorists” to better deal with terror threats.
He also emphasised that terrorism is the biggest violator of human rights and cross-border propagation of terrorist ideologies through online radicalisation cannot be considered “political problem”.
The Minister was speaking at the valedictory of the four-day General Assembly of the Interpol.
“When Interpol was established in 1923, crime and policing challenges at that time, and modes and methods of crime today are very different, a lot of changes have taken place, and it is quite natural that in the decades to come, even more changes will take place,” he said.
He further said, “Criminal mindsets have not changed, but the means for crime are changing. In this regard, it is my suggestion that based on its experience and achievements over the last 100 years, Interpol prepares a future plan for the next 50 years.”
“Interpol can also set up a study group under its auspices, which can carry out detailed research on the challenges likely in the next 35-50 years, and solutions for them,” he said.
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Cross-border online radicalisation can’t be termed political problem, says Shah
“It can also produce a report called World Policing between 2048 and 2073. And it will also be relevant to review this plan every 5 years,” he said.
“I believe that this research will prove to be very useful for law enforcement agencies of member countries,” he said.
Addressing the concluding session of the 90th Interpol General Assembly, he said, “We cannot fight terrorists and terrorism globally unless there is a common definition of both. Commitment to fight terrorism and differentiating good or bad terrorism or classifying terror attacks as big or small cannot go together.”
Shah said there must be a consensus on the cross-border propagation of terrorist ideologies through online radicalisation.
“We cannot consider this to be a political problem. We must all be committed to ensuring that an effective fight against terrorism should be long-term, comprehensive and sustainable,” he said.
Interpol is the best platform to achieve “across border cooperation” which is must to defeat “cross border terrorism”, he said.
The Home Minister said in many countries Interpol nodal agency and counter terrorism agencies are different.
“Given this situation, in order to fight terrorism, we will have to bring together all the counter-terrorism agencies of the world,” he said.
Shah urged Interpol to develop a permanent communication channel between counter terror agencies of the countries where real time information and intelligence can be shared among countries.
India is committed to work with Interpol to counter all forms of global terrorism providing its technical and human resources. On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of India’s Independence, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has put forward his vision of a drugs-free India, he said.
There is a need to establish a platform for exchange of intelligence and information among countries to counter illicit narco-trade, he said.
“There should be exchange of information, joint campaigns, regional maritime cooperation, mutual legal assistance, effective mechanism to tackle money laundering to combat narco-terrorism and narco-smuggling,” he said underlining successes achieved by Narcotics Control Bureau recently.
India is committed to assist Interpol in setting up a dedicated centre or convention and launching a dedicated communication network for counter-terrorism and anti-narcotics agencies around the world.
The Interpol general assembly is being organised in New Delhi to coincide with the 75th anniversary year of India’s Independence.
Shah said the current crime incidents are “borderless” and all the Interpol member countries will have to rise to meet this challenge and the global police organisation’s role in tackling these issues is “very important.”
He said the Modi Government is trying its best to make police forces capable of dealing with all kinds of challenges.
India is preparing a national database on terrorism and narcotics so that police agencies can use information effectively. Citizens’ security is the first priority of any police force, he said.
“The way criminal syndicates are using modern technology to work internationally, I do not see why countries across the globe should not cooperate or coordinate. It’s a dual challenge before our police and law enforcement agencies, on one side they have to implement law within sovereign boundaries of a country and on the other hand they have to handle the global nature of criminals operating across borders,” he said.
The Union Home Minister said in the last four days, participants at the General Assembly in Delhi had an extensive discussion on ‘Global Crime Trend Report 2022’ and ‘Interpol Vision 2030’.
The changes taking place in active policing, metaverse and cyber threat landscape are also being discussed. In addition, two major resolutions to increase the use of Interpol’s I-Familia and the International Child Sexual Abuse Database have also been passed.