Interpol is the world’s largest international police organization, with 188 member countries. Created in 1923, it facilitates cross-border police co-operation, and supports and assists all organizations, authorities and services whose mission is to prevent or combat international crime.
Interpol aims to facilitate international police co-operation even where diplomatic relations do not exist between particular countries. 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’S LEADERSHIP
The President of Interpol and the Secretary General work closely together in providing strong leadership and direction to the Organization.
General Assembly: Interpol’s supreme governing body, it meets annually and comprises delegates appointed by each member country. The assembly takes all important decisions related to policy, resources, working methods, finances, activities and programmes.
Executive Committee: This 13-member committee is elected by the General Assembly, and comprises the president, three vice-presidents and nine delegates covering the four regions. Advisers are experts in a purely advisory capacity, who may be appointed by the Executive Committee and confirmed by the General Assembly.
General Secretariat: Located in Lyon, France, the General Secretariat operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and is run by the Secretary General. Officials from more than 80 countries work side-by-side in any of the Organization’s four official languages: Arabic, English, French and Spanish. The Secretariat has seven regional offices across the world; in Argentina, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, El Salvador, Kenya, Thailand and Zimbabwe, along with Special Representatives at the United Nations in New York and at the European Union in Brussels.
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.
Commission for the Control of Interpol’s Files (CCF): This is an independent body whose mandate is threefold:
- To ensure that the processing of personal information by Interpol complies with the Organization’s regulations,
- To advise Interpol on any project, operation, set of rules or other matter involving the processing of personal information, and
- To process requests concerning the information contained in Interpol’s files.
SHARING INFORMATION
Interpol provides all its member countries with instant, direct access to a wide range of criminal information through a variety of databases. This enables the global law enforcement community to connect seemingly unrelated pieces of data, thereby facilitating investigations and enhancing international police co-operation.
All databases, except the one of child sexual abuse images, are accessible through a restricted-access Internet portal. An automated search facility enables member countries to conduct simultaneous searches in some of the databases.
Interpol is developing web server solutions to extend access to its databases beyond its National Central Bureaus to officers in the field. These include mobile and fixed network databases, known as MIND/FIND. FIND is a server-to-server system while MIND uses a mobile device and can be used offline. Both solutions allow an officer to submit a query simultaneously to a national database and an Interpol database. The officer receives responses from both within seconds. An electronic alert system notifies member countries concerned of potential matches.
These integrated solutions are now being offered to frontline law enforcement officers, such as border guards in member countries, to search the databases on wanted persons, stolen and lost travel documents and stolen motor vehicles.
MAIN DATABASES
Nominal Data: This database contains some 175,000 records on known international criminals, missing persons and dead bodies, with their criminal histories, photographs, fingerprints, etc.
Notices: Interpol uses a system of notices to alert police to fugitives, suspected terrorists, dangerous criminals, missing persons or weapons threats. In 2008 more than 5,600 arrests were made on the basis of a notice or diffusion (a similar but less formal type of alert).
Child Sexual Abuse Images: The Interpol Child Abuse Image Database (ICAID) contains more than 550,000 images submitted by member countries. It uses image recognition software to connect images from the same series of abuse or same location and has helped investigators identify and rescue more than 870 victims throughout the world.
Stolen and Lost Travel Documents: This database holds information on more than 16.7 million travel documents reported lost or stolen by 145 countries. This database enables Interpol National Central Bureaus and other authorized law enforcement entities (such as immigration and border control officers) to ascertain the validity of a suspect travel document in seconds.
Stolen Administrative Documents: This database contains information on almost 190,000 official documents which serve to identify objects, for example, vehicle registration documents and clearance certificates for import/export.
Stolen Motor Vehicles: Provides extensive identification details on approximately 4.7 million vehicles reported stolen around the world. In 2008, almost 3,000 stolen motor vehicles were identified a month using this database.
Stolen Works of Art: Allows member countries to research records on nearly 33,000 pieces of artwork and cultural heritage reported stolen all over the world.
DNA Profiles: Contains around 83,000 DNA profiles from 48 countries. DNA profiles are numerically coded sets of genetic markers unique to every individual and can be used to help solve crimes and identify missing persons and unidentified bodies.
Fingerprints: Interpol manages an Automated Fingerprint Identification System which contains about 86,000 sets of fingerprints and 1,800 crime scene marks. Member countries submit fingerprints and crime scene marks either electronically or by mail.
Fusion Task Force: This is a database of more than 13,000 persons suspected of being linked to terrorist activities. Some 120 member countries currently contribute to terrorism related matters.
Counterfeit Payment Cards: This database holds images of counterfeit cards and corresponding data. Seized cards are categorized and form a standard reference library against which suspect cards can be checked.
For matters relating to specific crime cases, please contact your local police or the Interpol National Central Bureau in your country. Contact information is available at the Interpol website.
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