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Organised crime gangs and terrorist organisations are likely to take advantage of Covid-19 to infiltrate supply chains for any future effective treatments and vaccines, Interpol has warned, while the International Police Organisation (Interpol) helps develop transnational measures to beat these efforts.
The fourth edition of the “Interpol dialogue on an effective multilateral policing architecture against global threats” saw fruitful discussions among the participating regional organisations on how Covid-19 was affecting the security landscape.
A global threat assessment issued by Interpol in April outlined the “crime lifecycle” linked to Covid-19, as well as best practices and measures to mitigate the effects of these crimes, which were discussed during the virtual “dialogue” meeting.
According to Interpol, while cybercrime and cyber-enabled crimes had received widespread attention, the pandemic had also been exploited by terrorists and organised crime groups.
With Mafia organisations already invested in essential activities such as the agro-food sector, road transport, cleaning services and waste disposal, the increased likelihood of their further infiltrating the legitimate economy is a significant threat.
In addition, when life-saving products or a vaccine are available, demand will soar, resulting in a parallel increase in theft and counterfeiting of these important medicines.
“The Covid-19 pandemic has demonstrated there is a clear nexus between global heath and global security,” said Interpol secretary general Jürgen Stock.
“The need for law enforcement cooperation to keep pace with these evolving and unexpected threats has never been greater.
“Through efforts such as the dialogue, which promote knowledge exchange and continuous discourse on a global level, we can present a united front against the changing security landscape.”
Due to the inherent cross-border nature of the changing criminal threats arising from the virus outbreak and related control measures, the participants reaffirmed the importance of multilateral law enforcement cooperation as critical in times of emergency.
A joint declaration endorsed by the participating organisations set out a roadmap for coordinating the exchange of information on Covid-19 related threats and the strategic and operational challenges posed by the outbreak.
Opportunities for enhanced collaboration following the end of the outbreak were also defined.
Online Reporter