Americas INTERPOL Conference opens in Guyana with focus on transnational and organized crime

The 27^th Americas INTERPOL Regional Conference opened in Georgetown this morning with Prime Minister Mark Phillips noting that while cooperation among various countries and organizations continue to reap results in the fight against transitional organized crime, that cooperation must be swift in order to dent the backs of criminal networks.

The Prime Minister told the conference that when an investigation crosses international boundaries, any delay can shift the advantage to the offender and place justice further out of reach, thereby allowing transnational crimes to spread.

“Our cooperation must therefore move as swiftly as the threat itself. Interpol therefore provides the means through which that cooperation can and must occur. Through the I24/7 network, authorized officers can exchange sensitive information securely and consult international police record in real-time and extend its investigation beyond the country in which it began,” the Prime Minister said.

The Conference has brought together leading members of the security forces from across the Americas.

Prime Minister Phillips said collective criminal enterprise continues to put countries and communities at risk.

As it relates to Guyana, he said while the country’s geographical location makes it ideal for business and other ventures, the focus should also be on criminal networks trying to exploit those opportunities.

“But even as these activities are fostered, so too are these roads, waterways and financial systems are studied and exploited by criminal organizations. The reality is that such organizations and entities continuously hunt for weaknesses at ports and differences between national laws. In some cases, their operations are planned in one country and financed in another, therefore allowing them to pass through several jurisdictions before their victims are ever identified. And while the dangers are known to us, they have assumed greater reach and sophistication over the years,” Mr. Phillips said.

Meanwhile, Home Affairs Minister, Oneidge Walrond, said the Guyana Government is aware of the security environment facing the country presently. She noted that the country’s security architecture will evolve with equal purpose and urgency.

Minister Walrond said the Government is investing significantly in building a law enforcement system that is modern, professional, intelligence led, technologically capable and responsive to the changing security environment.

“Today, security can no longer be understood as responding to crime after it occurs, it requires us to protect our people, our borders, our institutions and out critical infrastructure. It requires us to uphold the rule of law, anticipate emerging threats and create a safe and stable environment necessary for national development,” Minister Walrond said.

Commissioner of Police Clifton Hicken, said as criminal threats become increasingly transnational, effective policing depends not only on national capability, but also on sustained international cooperation.

“Vast forest or river network, support economic development and regional integration but also creates vulnerabilities to transnational organized crime, including narcotics and firearm trafficking, migrant smuggling, trafficking in persons and illegal mining. Moreso, our rapidly developing economy and growing international connectivity demands greater vigilance against cybercrime, financial crime—money laundering and other technological enabled threats, “Mr. Hicken said.

The conference concludes on Thursday.

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