Interpol has warned that Africa is facing an escalation of cybercrime, illicit firearms, and financial crimes, urging police chiefs across the continent to step up intelligence-sharing and cooperation.

Speaking at the 27th INTERPOL Africa Regional Conference in Cape Town, Secretary General Valdecy Urquiza said the three-day gathering had underscored both the urgency of the threats and the importance of regional collaboration.

“Our recent study with African law enforcement agencies shows that the main growing threat for the region is cybercrime,” Urquiza told delegates.

“The use of technology is becoming more and more present and more and more challenging for law enforcement agencies to investigate.”

He stressed that the trafficking of illegal firearms and drugs remains a major destabilising factor across the continent.

“This is a true transnational crime,” he stated. “Criminal organisations are operating in a very sophisticated way where they can smuggle drugs and weapons in one country, move them into another, and then hide their assets in a third. That is exactly where Interpol plays a crucial role – to empower and connect law enforcement agencies all over the globe.”

Anne Marie Nainda, an executive member of Interpol, said the closed-door sessions over the past three days had enabled police chiefs to confront the challenges of organised crime in Africa more directly.

“This platform was intentionally created for police chiefs of Africa to engage and to leverage cooperation and partnerships,” she said.

“We discussed financial crime and corruption, drug-related matters, and theft of motor vehicles, which affect not just Africa but the SADC region in particular. Key to these discussions is how best we can assist each other as member countries, and how to optimally utilise Interpol’s capabilities and databases, as well as to share real-time information and intelligence to curb these forms of transnational organised crime.”

South African Police Service (SAPS) National Commissioner General Fannie Masemola, who hosted the event, said the three-day conference, which concluded on Friday, had emphasised the need for collective action against cross-border criminal syndicates.

“We face challenges ranging from human trafficking, drug trafficking, cybercrime, and wildlife crime, which have become a heavy burden in Africa,” he said in his closing remarks.

“Illegal firearms leave families distraught, accompanied by the scourge of drugs that are transferred across the globe. Together, we can ensure a safe, more secure, and more prosperous Africa.”

Masemola said delegates had also examined illicit financial flows draining billions from African economies.

“We looked into financial flows, predominantly in and out of countries, cyber fraud and tax evasion, which account for billions lost from Africa every year,” he said.

He urged police leaders to build on the spirit of unity fostered during the Cape Town sessions. “From here on, let us stand together and fight this scourge of crime across the globe, across Africa, and continuously share intelligence with one another so that we can be able to fight this stage of crime,” he said.

While the subject matter was grave, Masemola also used the occasion to extend a light-hearted invitation for delegates to return to South Africa outside of official business.

“I hope that in between these three days, you enjoyed the Mother City, Cape Town. Come back again for the holiday. Enjoy the rest of your stay, the weather has been behaving,” he said.

The 27th INTERPOL Africa Regional Conference concluded with a firm commitment to strengthening cooperation, boosting intelligence-sharing, and harnessing the organisation’s global databases in the battle against organised crime.

mandilakhe.tshwete@inl.co.za 

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