Kate Cho YMCA 2020 Southeastern High School Model United Nations - SHSMUN 2021
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INTERPOL
Kate Cho
YMCA 2020 Southeastern High
School Model United Nations
YMCA Southeastern High School Model UN
International Criminal Police Organization
“Globalization has made us more vulnerable. It creates a world without borders and makes us painfully aware of
the limitations of our present instruments, and of politics, to meet its challenges.”
-Anna Lindh, Former Swedish Minister of Foreign Affairs
Introduction
Cybercrime and drug trafficking are often transnational in nature, making it hard to
apprehend and prosecute offenders. INTERPOL, the International Criminal Police Organization,
is an intergovernmental agency that offers law enforcement agencies of all levels a shared
international database on criminal information along with technical and operational support.1
While providing an international database that connects the international law enforcement
community together, INTERPOL also has an incident response team. The team provides an
operational training and support program, as well as forensic analysis, which is the application of
science to criminal investigations. As society becomes more globalized, transnational
information exchange is even more vital to stopping the spread of crime. INTERPOL provides
information that otherwise would not have been accessible in apprehending and prosecuting
transnational criminals. By fostering relationships and connecting countries to combat crime,
INTERPOL actively works towards international communication and transparency in the area of
law enforcement and criminal investigation.
Background
The idea for INTERPOL was proposed in 1914 during the first International Criminal
Police Congress in Monaco.2 During the Monacan conference, the foundations of INTERPOL
were built: direct communication between police bodies and an efficient process of extradition.3
However, the world was preoccupied with the first World War, and it would be almost a decade
before Johannes Schober, the president of the Vienna Police, would revisit the idea of an
international law enforcement organization. Schober wanted police organizations of the world to
pool together their resources and expertise, and in 1923, INTERPOL’s predecessor, the
International Crime Police Commission (ICPC) started working toward their mission of
preventing crime and aiding European national law enforcement agencies.4 5The ICPC was
1
“What Is Interpol?,” INTERPOL, n.d. Accessed February 20, 2020.
https://www.interpol.int/en/Who-we-are/What-is-INTERPOL
2
“Key Dates.” INTERPOL, n.d. Accessed February 20, 2020.
https://www.interpol.int/en/Who-we-are/Our-history/Key-dates
3
Deflem, Mathieu. “Bureaucratization and Social Control: Historical Foundations of International Police
Cooperation.” Law & Society Review 34, no. 3 (2000): 739.
https://doi.org/10.2307/3115142.
4
“Our History.” INTERPOL, n.d. Accessed February 20, 2021
https://www.interpol.int/en/Who-we-are/Our-history
5
“Cybercrime.” INTERPOL, n.d. Accessed February 20, 2021.
https://www.interpol.int/en/Crimes/CybercrimeYMCA Southeastern High School Model UN
relatively successful and had 58 members by 1934.6 INTERPOL would develop one of their
greatest contributions to global security in 1935, when they launched a radio network that was
used for sharing police information globally. By 1966, 34 countries around the globe had access
to this newly created radio channel. The development of the radio network was the first big step
towards international information sharing in a law enforcement setting. This network would later
become the I-24/7, a communication system utilized by INTERPOL member states to contact
each other and INTERPOL’s General Secretariat.7 However in 1938, the ICPC was taken over by
Nazi Germany due to its location in Vienna, Austria. 8 After the defeat of Nazi Germany during
the second World War, the ICPC was rebranded as the International Criminal Police Organization
(ICPO) in 1946. The ICPO would first relocate to the Parisian suburb of Saint-Cloud until they
moved to Lyon, France, in 1989, which is the current headquarters of INTERPOL.9 Now,
INTERPOL has a general secretariat that oversees day-to-day operations. Each member state has
an INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB), which acts as the center for INTERPOL’s
activities in member states.10
Police databases are often used to send out notices, which are published by the general
secretariat at the request of a NCB.11 Notices can also be sent out by the United Nations,
International Criminal Tribunals, and the International Criminal Court. International Criminal
Tribunals are temporary courts that assemble to investigate matters pertaining to international
criminal law, and they are often used to prosecute war criminals.12 It is important to clarify that
the International Criminal Court is an international court that prosecutes individuals who are
charged with severe crimes against the international community, such as genocide, crimes
against humanity, and war crimes.13 Notices are color-coordinated to categorize seven potential
situations. The most infamous notice is the red notice, which is an attempt to locate a wanted
person so that they may face prosecution or serve a sentence. These notices are official requests
for extradition and are seen as the closest thing to a modern international arrest system. The red
notice is the only notice that legally warrants an arrest through INTERPOL. There are currently
7546 active red notices as of February 2021. Moreover, notices have highlighted how vulnerable
6
Deflem, Mathieu. “The Logic of Nazification: The Case of the International Criminal Police
Commission(‘Interpol’).” International Journal of Comparative Sociology 43, no. 1 (2002): 21–44.
https://doi.org/10.1177/002071520204300102.
7
Ibid.
8
Ibid.
9
“Southern France: Detailed Navigation Guides and Maps.” French Waterways, July 8, 2018.
https://www.french-waterways.com/waterways/south/
10
Ibid
11
“Notices.” INTERPOL, n.d. Accessed February 20, 2021.
https://www.interpol.int/en/How-we-work/Notice
12
“International Criminal Tribunals.” Legal Information Institute. Cornell Law School. Accessed March 3, 2021.
https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/international_criminal_tribunals
13
“About the International Criminal Court.” International Criminal Court. Accessed March 3, 2021.
https://www.icc-cpi.int/aboutYMCA Southeastern High School Model UN
INTERPOL is to manipulation with the intent of political gain, rather than criminal justice. 14 For
example, in one instance, Hakeem al-Araibi, a footballer who fled Bahrain as a political refugee,
was detained in Thailand while on a belated honeymoon due to a red notice put out by Bahrain.
Bahrain claimed that al-Araibi vandalized a police station, a claim he himself vehemently
denied.15 Some Western news outlets such as the New York Times speculated that Bahrain
wanted to silence him due to his outspoken criticisms of the Bahraini government. Bahrain had
exploited the red notice and bypassed several international refugee laws in attempts to detain
al-Araibi. Instead of using INTERPOL’s resources to apprehend criminals, the Bahraini
government used it to further their political needs. al-Araibi was a high profile dissenter and his
silence would have benefited the Bahraini government. Additionally, during the aftermath of the
9/11 terrorist attacks on the United States of America, records and interviews from five
continents revealed that top INTERPOL officials ignored repeated and urgent warnings from
INTERPOL insiders about its vulnerability to political manipulation.
Due to the international scope of crime, INTERPOL has been working with the United
Nations since 1996 when it first became a permanent observer, allowing INTERPOL free access
to most UN meetings and documents applicable to those meetings.16 INTERPOL works closely
with the United Nations General Assembly and the United Nations Security Council (UNSC),
focusing on issues concerning terrorism and transnational crime. The UNSC and INTERPOL
have collaborated on a new notice classification called the Security Council Special Notices.17
These notices are aimed at those who violate UNSC sanctions, which range from travel bans,
arms embargoes, and financial restrictions.18 19 While participating in the UN General Assembly,
INTERPOL has been mentioned in 57 resolutions and the cooperation of these two entities can
be credited to the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 71/19, which was passed in
2016.20 Resolution 71/19 called for greater cooperation and coordination between member states
in issues concerning terrorism, cybercrime, and transnational crime. In November 2020, this
resolution was amended to add operational language that clarifies key operations, which gave
more clarity on what the relationship between the United Nations and INTERPOL should look
like. INTERPOL has also collaborated with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
14
Apuzzo, Matt. “How Strongmen Turned Interpol Into Their Personal Weapon.” The New York Times. The New
York Times, March 22, 2019.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/22/world/europe/interpol-most-wanted-red-notices.html
15
“Hakeem Al-Araibi: Thailand Frees Refugee Footballer.” BBC News. BBC, February 11, 2019.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-47196696
16
“INTERPOL and the United Nations.” INTERPOL, n.d. Accessed February 20, 2021.
https://www.interpol.int/en/Our-partners/International-organization-partners/INTERPOL-and-the-United-Nations
17
Ibid.
18
Ibid.
19
“Sanctions- United Nations Security Council.” United Nations. United Nations. Accessed March 8, 2021.
https://www.un.org/securitycouncil/sanctions/information
20
UNGA and UNSC resolutions on INTERPOL, n.d. Accessed February 21, 2021.
https://www.interpol.int/en/Our-partners/International-organization-partners/INTERPOL-and-the-United-Nations/U
NGA-and-UNSC-resolutions-highlighting-INTERPOL-s-roleYMCA Southeastern High School Model UN
(UNODC) in the past. Due to INTERPOL’s limits as a neutral international organization,
UNODC provided legislative assistance, while INTERPOL provided investigative and technical
assistance.21 The organizations worked on Project CRIMJUST together, which gathered countries
from Latin America, the Caribbean, and West Africa with the intention to identify and dismantle
regional organized criminal systems as a part of the EU’s Cocaine Route Programme. Cocaine is
a product that is produced and prepared in a laboratory and then shipped off to customers.
Oftentimes, drug traffickers place their laboratories in rural locations to prevent detection.22 This
causes there to be more stops in a Cocaine route. Many of these stops in a cocaine route cross
borders, making it even more important for countries to work together to dismantle these routes.
INTERPOL and UNODC also collaborated together to create the Airport Communications
Project with the help of the World Customs Organization (WCO) to strengthen the capacities of
international airports in Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, and the Middle East.
Strengthening the security capabilities of international airports can aid in preventing drugs from
entering various countries and better detection abilities, both of which will prevent crime.
INTERPOL and UNODC
INTERPOL and UNODC are both tasked with the prevention of crime. While
INTERPOL can function as its own committee, the organization will only serve to increase the
depth and detail on resolutions presented in UNODC. INTERPOL has led operations, worked
with various member states, and collaborated with the private sector to effectively combat
cybercrime.23 INTERPOL worked with national Computer Emergency Response Teams (CERTs)
and joined the Forum of Incident Response and Security Teams (FIRST), which joined forensic
techniques with technological expertise.24 These teams offer knowledge on forensic investigation
techniques and the latest research on criminalistics-the science of interpreting physical evidence
while also aiding in setting up and executing operations.25 INTERPOL also led both Operation
Goldfish Alpha and Operation Nightfury, which dealt with cybersecurity and cybercrime
prevention. Operation Goldfish Alpha was launched after INTERPOL detected a cryptojacking
campaign, which is a mass movement to mine cryptocurrency illegally. Cryptocurrency is a form
of virtual currency that is encrypted by cryptography, making it almost impossible to counterfeit
21
“Cooperation with United Nations Entities.” INTERPOL, n.d. Accessed February 21, 2021.
https://www.interpol.int/en/Our-partners/International-organization-partners/INTERPOL-and-the-United-Nations/Co
operation-with-United-Nations-entities
22
Yagoub, Mimi. “Colombia's Urban Cocaine Labs: A New Phenomenon?” InSight Crime, September 20, 2017.
https://www.insightcrime.org/news/brief/colombia-s-urban-cocaine-labs-a-new-phenomenon/
23
Ibid.
24
Wintle, Frank. “INTERPOL and FIRST Join Hands to Fight Cyber Crime.” Cision PRWeb, June 30, 2009.
Accessed February 20, 2021.
https://www.prweb.com/releases/2009/06/prweb2597434.htm
25
“Criminalistics.” American Academy of Forensic Sciences. Accessed March 8, 2021.
https://aafs.org/Home/Resources/Students/Sections/Criminalistics.aspxYMCA Southeastern High School Model UN
or double spend.26 To simplify, cryptocurrency is a new form of currency that was created for
secure use in the virtual realm. It is still a developing technology so complete security in this
form of currency is still years away. This specific cryptojacking campaign in Southeast Asia
targeted flaws in MikroTik routers, a type of Latvian routers commonly used in Southeast Asia. 27
28
Outside of Eastern Europe, MicroTik routers are most commonly found in Southeast Asiax.
During Operation Goldfish Alpha, over 20,000 hacked routers were located and the spread of
cyber infections was reduced by 78 percent. Another important operation in cyber crime was
Operation Nightfury, an Indonesian operation that developed after a private sector partner voiced
their concerns about malware.29 Operation Nightfury was centered around a strain of malware
that stole credit card information from Indonesian citizens, and the operation ended with three
criminals arrested in Indonesia. During INTERPOL’s time in UNODC, INTERPOL will present
various operations and efforts made on the topic of cybercrime that will help delegates
strengthen their resolutions. The details provided by INTERPOL will ensure that delegates’
resolutions are nuanced.
On the topic of mitigating illicit psychotropic drugs, INTERPOL manages databases and
leads operations in relation to illicit psychotropic drugs, such as cocaine. INTERPOL manages
the Drug Analysis File, which contains information from 114 countries on illegal drug
transport.30 The Drug Analysis File is different from INTERPOL’s other databases because it
contains information from various international organizations and civilians, not just law
enforcement groups. The Drug Analysis File has assisted INTERPOL in analyzing connections
in drug trafficking, such as packaging styles and tablet markings. For example, INTERPOL
created the Relief database to track specific markings on drug packages. When drug packages are
compressed, the machines leave traces on the packages and the drugs to help analyze which
groups are trading what drugs.31 In 2019, an INTERPOL team in Guinea-Bissau, long considered
one of Africa’s most notorious drug hotspots, made 10 arrests and seized 1.8 tons of cocaine,
26
Frankenfield, Jake. “Cryptocurrency.” Investopedia. Investopedia, September 16, 2020.
https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/cryptocurrency.asp
27
“Interpol Led Action Takes Aim at Cryptojacking in Southeast Asia.” INTERPOL, n.d. Accessed February 21,
2021.
https://www.interpol.int/en/News-and-Events/News/2020/INTERPOL-led-action-takes-aim-at-cryptojacking-in-Sout
heast-Asia
28
Nadeau, Michael. “What Is Cryptojacking? How to Prevent, Detect, and Recover from It.” CSO Online. CSO,
July 9, 2020.
https://www.csoonline.com/article/3253572/what-is-cryptojacking-how-to-prevent-detect-and-recover-from-it.html
29
“INTERPOL Supports Arrest of Cybercriminals Targeting Online Shopping Websites.” INTERPOL, n.d.
Accessed February 21, 2021.
https://www.interpol.int/en/News-and-Events/News/2020/INTERPOL-supports-arrest-of-cybercriminals-targeting-o
nline-shopping-websites
30
“Drugs Analysis and Intelligence.” INTERPOL, n.d. Accessed February 21, 2021
https://www.interpol.int/en/Crimes/Drug-trafficking/Drugs-analysis-and-intelligence
31
Ibid.YMCA Southeastern High School Model UN
making it one of the largest seizures in the region.32 33 INTERPOL also led the highly successful
Lionfish III operation, an international operation spanning from Latin America to West Africa. 34
52 tons of cocaine, heroin, and cannabis were seized and the 25 tons of cocaine alone was valued
at approximately 950 million United States Dollars (USD). Cocaine is one of the most
marketable and profitable illegal drugs, which explains the astronomical amount that can be
made with just a couple shipments. Another INTERPOL-supported project was Project AMEAP,
which combined operational and investigative support for member states during transnational
drug trafficking.35 INTERPOL aimed to increase access to information over borders, which
greatly improved the likelihood of a successful seizure or investigation by either INTERPOL or a
local law enforcement group. Due to the long history of INTERPOL and other organizations’
efforts, delegates can be inspired to pursue solutions that are more unconventional and creative
within the jurisdiction of the UNODC.
Conclusion
INTERPOL will aim to provide more depth and detail to UNODC. INTERPOL’s
presentation will cover its involvement in the first 2 topics and the details regarding their
databases, operations, projects. While highlighting INTERPOL’s various international ventures,
such as assisting and leading missions and managing databases, delegates will be inspired to
write more creative and innovative resolutions that will overall elevate the standard of UNODC
resolutions and initiatives.
32
“Guinea Bissau Cocaine Seizure: INTERPOL Team Supporting Investigation.” INTERPOL, September 10, 2019.
https://www.interpol.int/en/News-and-Events/News/2019/Guinea-Bissau-cocaine-seizure-INTERPOL-team-supporti
ng-investigation
33
Dalby, Chris. “Record Cocaine Hauls Confirm Guinea-Bissau's 'Narco-State' Reputation.” InSight Crime,
September 25, 2019.
https://www.insightcrime.org/news/analysis/guinea-bissau-colombia-cocaine-hauls/
34
“Operation Lionfish III Highlighted Transnational Organized Crime Threat – Supported by CRIMJUST.” United
Nations : Office on Drugs and Crime, n.d. Accessed February 21, 2021
https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/drug-trafficking/crimjust/news/operation-lionfish-iii-highlighted-transnational-orga
nized-crime-threat--supported-by-crimjust.html
35
“Project AMEAP.” INTERPOL, n.d. Accessed February 21, 2021
https://www.interpol.int/en/Crimes/Drug-trafficking/Project-AMEAPYou can also read
