JAMNABAI NARSEE SCHOOL

ISC ANNUAL WORLD SUMMIT

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Committee: The International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL)

Agenda: Structure Of Organised Crime In The Modern Day Era.

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Letter from the EB:

Dear Delegates,
When the first General Assembly of the International Criminal Police Commission, the fore-
runner of INTERPOL, was held in Vienna in 1923, the keynote message was, and I quote,
“renewing police contacts among new countries in the Old Empire but also establishing new
contacts between the peoples of the world”. With this message held firmly in mind, we, the
Executive Board of the International Criminal Police Organization invite delegates to the
11th edition of the Annual World Summit, organized for the first time after two-years in the
offline mode at Jamnabai Narsee School.
Delegates, this year’s agenda will push you and test you to your very limits, since the agenda
selected this year is one that is challenging, encourages rigorous debate and is controversial,
to say the least. With each delegate working under immense pressure to defend the pride of
their nation, our two-day committee proceeding will keep you gripped to the edge of your
seats, with heated discussion in each segment of our proceedings. One of the sole motives of
the Executive Board is to provide you with the pertinent material you need to prepare a
strong case for the sake of your respective delegations, while also assuming the role of flag-
bearers for a constructive & healthy debate. With INTERPOL being one of the most interest-
ing committees that the AWS has to offer, delegates will be required to present their individ-
ual cases with a thorough understanding of the agenda, while also being civil, tactful, and re-
spectful while placing their opinions. The AWS being an in-person event this year, it is more
than evident that delegates will have much material to discuss. We also take great pride in of-
fering delegates the chance to take part in the Special Crisis Committee, called the “Council
of the Elite”, in reward for their meritorious performance during the two days of committee,
upon discretion of the EB. This crisis committee will allow delegates to interact with dele-
gates from various other committees, engaging in meaningful discussion to reach mutual
agreements in matters relating to world peace & global security. The deliberations for the
same solely depend upon one’s performance on the first day of the conference, after which
the best delegates will be selected to propound their views on specially chosen issues.
The INTERPOL, as a committee, urges delegates to have equilibrium in their sense of under-
standing between politics and crime and must be able to identify and work on the fine line
that separates the two heavily grey areas. This balance and steadiness of understanding and
rationality will go a long way in helping delegates be impartial in their analysis of various as-
pects of the committee. Therefore, the Executive Board at INTERPOL looks forward to being
witness to equally talented delegates in their attempts to create significant discourse around
the issue of organized crime and reach a consensus that positively impacts every member
country involved. Above all, we hope you take something back from this conference that
would go a long way in channelizing your abilities to suit the needs of your future and profes-
sional careers.

We invite you to: Come, See, Conquer!

Chair: Aaliya Mithaiwala,

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Vice Chair: Mitanshi Mehta,
Moderator: Arjun Soparkar
An introduction on INTERPOL:
The International Criminal Police organization, popularly referred to as INTERPOL is an in-
tergovernmental organization that coordinates cooperation between the police forces of 180
countries. The goal of the INTERPOL is to facilitate the widest possible mutual assistance
between criminal police organizations for the world-wide suppression of crime. The INTER-
POL is headquartered in Lyon, France and deals with crime that ranges from maritime crime,
war crimes, Human, drugs, and firearm trafficking to cyber and financial crime. The INTER-
POL circulates data and makes it accessible amongst its different member states for the sup-
pression of grave crime. Broadly, INTERPOL focuses heavily on Terrorism, Cyber Crime
and Organized crime. The INTERPOL was earlier a consultative agency to the UN, and then
gradually established its status as a world-wide renowned organization working toward the
elimination of heinous crime. The INTERPOL offers a large database and has many profes-
sionals who work for them who range from different backgrounds. Some of them being law-
yers, financial analysts, and even chartered accountants. The member countries chip in for the
salaries of INTERPOL officials. Currently the INTERPOL has about 7000 ongoing red no-
tices for fugitives and criminals around the world, ranging from countries like Uruguay, Para-
guay, El Salvador, France and even Russia. The estimated budget per annum of the INTER-
POL is roughly around $127 million dollars. Over 700 personnel staff the General Secretar-
iat’s office in Lyon. In each of the member countries there exists a National Central Bureau
established by INTERPOL, who work together alongside the secretariat to hunt wanted,
blacklisted criminals around the world. The INTERPOL also makes use of a massive com-
munication system called the “I-24/7” which is a wide database, which all countries can use.
Countries can make use of this database in instances when a criminal from their country is on
the run and is found in another one of the member countries. While the INTERPOL does not
immediately arrest, it does work that would ultimately lead to one and makes use of some-
thing called a “red notice” (as referenced above) and the “Interpol notice” in case of missing
persons, an unidentified body or a prisoner runaway. The “red notice” as defined by INTER-
POL states “To seek the location/arrest of a person wanted by a judicial jurisdiction or an
international tribunal with a view to his/her extradition”. The notices issued by INTERPOL
are colour coded, and the most circulated ones are the “red notices”. The “yellow notices” as
issued by the INTERPOL are for missing persons and most of them are younger people,
those in their teens and early adulthood. Often, the INTERPOL is called upon by several
member countries to act on the grounds of political controversies and geo-political tensions
one country might have with another, fellow member country. This is a conflict of interest,
and often, if an element of crime does not exist, the INTERPOL does not intervene. As was
the case with Kremlin critic Bill Browder who was labelled as a threat to national security by
Russia, for his comments on Russian Government Officials being corrupt and for the death of
his lawyer Sergei Magnitsky in 2009. While Browder accused the Kremlin on the grounds of
Corruption and Human Rights Violations, the Russian Government claims that Browder is

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allegedly involved in Deliberate Bankruptcy and Tax evasion. This story began with an arti-
cle published by Reuters in 2019 after which the story grew, and had viewers round the
world.

A background on INTERPOL:

With a rise of international crime around the time of 2019, it became pressing for govern-
ment’s internationally to coordinate on matters relating to global security. The INTERPOL
traces its roots back to 1914 when a congress of international police of 14 countries met in
Monaco. After an additional increase in crime, in 1923 representatives to 20 criminal police
forces met in Vienna and formed the INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL POLICE COMMIS-
SION (ICPC). After the annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany, and when Germany took
over the reins of ICPC, many member countries left, only to join in a few years later. The
outbreak of World War II, and the transfer of criminal records and documents practically fin-
ished the standing of the ICPC. After the end of war, the ICPC, accepted an offer by the Pa-
risian Government to headquarter the ICPC there. The ICPC was thus revived, though the
loss or destruction of all its pre-war records required that it be completely reorganized. In
1949 the ICPC was granted consultative status by the United Nations. From 1946 to 1955 its
membership grew from 19 countries to 55. In 1956 the ICPC ratified a new constitution, un-
der which it was renamed the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol). The or-
ganization moved to its present headquarters in Lyon in 1989.

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Introduction to the Agenda:
Organized crime is growing in countries across the globe. Before addressing the issue, let us
understand what organized crime is.
What is Organized Crime:
 Generally, organized criminal networks are involved in many different types
of criminal activities spanning several countries. These activities may include
trafficking in people, drugs, illicit goods and weapons, armed robbery, coun-
terfeiting and money laundering.
 With revenues estimated in the billions, their criminal enterprises closely re-
semble those of legitimate international businesses. They have operating mod-
els, long-term strategies, hierarchies, and even strategic alliances, all serving
the same purpose: to generate the most profits with the least amount of risk.
 Members of organized crime groups often share a common link, for example
geographical, ethnic, or even blood ties.
 The causes of organized crime are derived from the activity’s ability to gener-
ate money, not adhere to the law, and hold influence. Until the costs of orga-
nized crime outweigh the benefits the issue will continue to plague the interna-
tional community.

What is Human Trafficking:

Trafficking is criminal activity or a form of modern-day slavery when a trafficker uses force,
fraud, or force to control another person for the objective of engaging in commercial sex ac-
tivities or labour work or services against his/her will. Every year, millions of men, women,
and children are trafficked worldwide.

What is Drug Trafficking:

Drug trafficking is a global illicit trade involving the cultivation, manufacture, distribution,
and sale of substances which are subject to drug prohibition laws.

What is Firearms Smuggling:

Firearms trafficking is the smuggling of guns and ammunition or other weapons of war into a
country. It occurs when an ineligible buyer of weapons uses another person to purchase a
firearm.

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History of Organized Crime:
Organized crime involves the illegal activity of groups of people or organizations commonly
for the purposes of obtaining money and influence. Illegal activity can consist of the illegal
movement of humans, money, and objects, which can lead to activities such as violence and
corruption. Transnational organized crime can be conducted between individuals and groups
over national borders. Because of this it directly or indirectly affects every Member State of
the United Nations. The problem has existed throughout human history with activities like
piracy and smuggling. Organized crime grew in the 20th Century with aspects of the topic
being discussed since the first session of the General Assembly in 1946.

In the late 1970s but accelerating in the early 1990s a new form of organized crime took hold.
The combination of a new geopolitical climate, a globalized world economy resulting in
softer borders, and a revolution in information technology available to crime groups hastened
a shift. crime groups changed from domestic organized crime groups that were regional in
scope and hierarchically structured to criminal organizations that are global and transnational
in nature, increasing networked with other criminal groups, and often flatter in structure.

Pre-nineteenth century:
 Today, crime is sometimes thought of as an urban phenomenon, but for most
of human history it was the rural interfaces that encountered most crimes. For
the most part, within a village, members kept crime at very low rates; how-
ever, outsiders such as pirates, highwaymen and bandits attacked trade routes
and roads, at times severely disrupting commerce. According to criminologist
Paul Lunde, "Piracy and banditry were to the pre-industrial world what orga-
nized crime is to modern society.”
 If we take a global rather than a strictly domestic view, it becomes evident that
even crime of the organized kind has a long if not a necessarily noble heritage.
The word 'thug' dates back to early 13th-century India, when gangs of crimi-
nals, or Thugs, roamed from town to town, looting and pillaging. Smuggling
and drug-trafficking rings are as old as the hills in Asia and Africa, and extant
criminal organizations in Italy and Japan trace their histories back several cen-
turies.
 As Lunde states, "Barbarian conquerors, whether Vandals, Goths, the Norse,
Turks or Mongols are not normally thought of as organized crime groups, yet
they share many features associated with thriving criminal organizations. They
were for the most part non-ideological, predominantly ethnically based, used
violence and intimidation, and adhered to their own codes of law." In Ancient
Rome, there was an infamous outlaw called Bulla Felix who organized and led
a gang of up to six hundred bandits. Terrorism is linked to organized crime,
but has political aims rather than solely financial ones, so there is overlap but
separation between terrorism and organized crime.

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Nineteenth century:
 During the Victorian era, criminals and gangs started to form organizations
which would collectively become London's criminal underworld. These
started to develop their own ranks and groups which were sometimes called
families and were often made up of lower-classes and operated on pick-pock-
etry, prostitution, forgery and counterfeiting, commercial burglary and even
money laundering schemes. Unique also were the use of slang and argots used
by Victorian criminal societies to distinguish each other, like those propagated
by street gangs like the Peaky Blinders. One of the most infamous crime
bosses in the Victorian underworld was Adam Worth, who was nicknamed
"the Napoleon of the criminal world" or "the Napoleon of Crime" and became
the inspiration behind the popular character of Professor Moriarty.
 Organized crime in the United States first came to prominence in the Old West
and historians such as Brian J. Robb and Erin H. Turner traced the first orga-
nized crime syndicates to the Coschise Cowboy Gang and the Wild Bunch.
The Cochise Cowboys, though loosely organized, were unique for their crimi-
nal operations in the Mexican border, in which they would steal and sell cattle
as well smuggled contraband goods in between the countries. In the Old west
there were other examples of gangs that operated in ways similar to an orga-
nized crime syndicate such as the Innocents gang, the Jim Miller gang, the
Soapy Smith gang, the Belle Starr gang and the Bob Dozier gang.

Twentieth century:
 Donald Cressey's Cosa Nostra model studied Mafia families exclusively and
this limits his broader findings. Structures are formal and rational with allo-
cated tasks, limits on entrance, and influence the rules established for organi-
zational maintenance and sustainability. In this context there is a difference
between organized and professional crime; there is well-defined hierarchy of
roles for leaders and members, underlying rules and specific goals that deter-
mine their behaviour and these are formed as a social system, one that was ra-
tionally designed to maximize profits and to provide forbidden goods. Albini
saw organized criminal behaviour as consisting of networks of patrons and cli-
ents, rather than rational hierarchies or secret societies.
 The networks are characterized by a loose system of power relations. Each
participant is interested in furthering his own welfare. Criminal entrepreneurs
are the patrons, and they exchange information with their clients to obtain
their support. Clients include members of gangs, local and national politicians,
government officials and people engaged in legitimate business. People in the
network may not directly be part of the core criminal organization. Furthering
the approach of both Cressey and Albini, Ianni and Ianni studied Italian Amer-
ican crime syndicates in New York and other cities.

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Human Trafficking:

 Transnational organized crime groups know this and take advantage of peo-
ple’s desperation. They facilitate the passage of migrants with little or no re-
gard for their safety and wellbeing. What matters is the money.

 The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime estimates that at least 2.5 mil-
lion migrants were smuggled in 2016, generating nearly USD 7 billion for
people smugglers.

 Interpol recognizes its crucial role in preventing human trafficking, they have
worked with the police and have investigated certain cases of it in the past.

Drug Trafficking:

 During the mid-1800s, Chinese immigrants arriving in California introduced

Americans to opium smoking. The trading, selling, and distribution of opium
spread throughout the region. This is how drug trafficking started.

 Between 1920 and around 1933 the Eighteenth Amendment to the United
States Constitution banned alcohol in the United States. Prohibition proved al-
most impossible to enforce and resulted in the rise of organized crime, includ-
ing the modern American Mafia, which identified enormous business opportu-
nities in the manufacturing, smuggling and sale of illicit liquor.

Firearm Smuggling:

 A variety of international and regional instruments form part of the legal re-
gime on firearms. The Organized Crime Convention is among the most signif-
icant global efforts to tackle firearms trafficking. One of the three supplement-
ing Protocols to this Convention is the Protocol against the Illicit Manufactur-
ing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Their Parts and Components and Ammuni-
tions (Firearms Protocol). It addresses the issue of illicit manufacturing and
trafficking of firearms from the criminal justice angle, and it was the first le-
gally binding instrument on small arms adopted at the global level. It was de-
veloped to provide measures to address the transnational nature of the phe-
nomenon and its links to organized crime.

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The present scenario of Organized crime in the word:
Organized crime in 2021 is more flexible and changing in nature, connecting individual crim-
inal entrepreneurs and smaller groups of criminals mediated by information and contract bro-
kers and supported by criminal service providers lending advice and assistance with expertise
in law, finance, logistics, and many other specialist domains.

Human Trafficking:
The current forms of human trafficking that are prevalent are:

 Trafficking in women for sexual exploitation – Women and children are lured
by promises of decent employment and forced into sexual slavery.
 Trafficking for forced labour – Victims are held in conditions of slavery in a
variety of jobs, including agricultural, fisheries and construction work, domes-
tic servitude, and other labour-intensive jobs.
 Commercial sexual exploitation of children in tourism – Evident in Asia, Af-
rica and Latin America, destinations which pose a relatively low risk of prohi-
bition or prosecution for engaging in sexual relations with minors.
 Trafficking in organs – Trafficking in humans for the purpose of using their
organs, tissue, and cells, in particular kidneys, is a complex and wide field of
criminal activity.

Key issues in Sex trafficking today:

 Estimates show that, internationally, only about .04% of survivors of sex traf-
ficking cases are identified, meaning that the majority of cases go undetected.
 Worldwide, almost 20% of all victims are children. However, in some parts of
Africa and the Mekong region, children are the majority (up to 100%) when it
comes to sex trafficking.
 An analysis found significant growth in the proportion of potential victims for
whom Facebook (Meta) (120% increase) and Instagram (95% increase) were
the sites for recruitment.
 It has an estimated 99 billion $ market value. To put it into perspective, the
sex trafficking industry is larger than the global cocaine market and almost as
big as the global PC market.
 52.36% of the world sex trafficking victims are happening in Northern Amer-
ica, and 84% of the sexual exploitation is females, 15% males, and 1%
transgender.

The current top 10 countries in Human Trafficking are:

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 1. Syria
2. China
3. Pakistan
4. Belarus
5. Venezuela
6. Iran
7. North Korea
8. Russia
9. Eritrea
10. Afghanistan

Drug Smuggling:
 The North American cocaine market is shrinking, because of lower demand
and greater law enforcement. This has generated a turf war among trafficking
gangs, particularly in Mexico, and new drug routes. "Along the entire Atlantic
coast of Latin America cocaine is trans-shipped into Europe via Africa," said
Mr. Costa. "Under attack, some west African nations risk failing."
 The countries that grow most of the world's illicit drugs, like Afghanistan
(opium) and Colombia (coca), receive the most attention and criticism. Yet,
most drug profits are made in the destination (rich) countries. For example,
out of a global market of perhaps US$55 billion for Afghan heroin, only about
5 per cent (US$2.3 billions) accrues to Afghan farmers, traders, and insur-
gents. Of the US$72 billion cocaine market in North America and Europe,
mid-level dealers in the consumer countries, not in the Andean region, make
some 70 per cent of the profits.
 In June 2021, Interpol revealed an operation in 92 countries that shut down
113,000 websites and online marketplaces selling counterfeit or illicit medi-
cines and medical products a month earlier, led to the arrests of 227 people
worldwide, recovered pharmaceutical products worth $23 million, and led to
the seizure of approximately nine million devices and drugs, including large
quantities of fake COVID-19 tests and face masks

Firearms Smuggling:

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 Making up some 39 per cent of the total number of firearms seized worldwide,
pistols are the most seized type of firearm globally.
 A police operation targeting firearms trafficking across South America has
seen thousands of illicit firearms seized, thousands of arrests and investigative
leads generated on crime networks and smuggling routes.
 Over three weeks, Operation Trigger VI (South America, 2021.) saw the arrest
of almost 4,000 suspects across all 13 South American countries, with some
200,000 illicit firearms, parts, components, ammunition, and explosives recov-
ered.
 Data from cities in 81 countries in the study reveals that around 550,000 fire-
arms were seized in 2016 and 2017, with pistols the most trafficked.
 This may be explained by the high number of responses received from the
Americas, where pistols made up, on average, more than half of all seizures.
 Meanwhile, in Africa and Asia, at 38 and 37 per cent respectively, shotguns
were the most prominent firearms seized and in Oceania, rifles were top, at 71
percent.
 At the same time, Europe seems to be the most heterogenous in terms of sei-
zures, with pistols accounting for 35 per cent, rifles 27 per cent, and shotguns,
22 per cent.
 Countries with higher levels of violent death and homicide – particularly in
Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean – tend to seize a higher percent-
age of firearms connected to violent crime, while in Europe, drug trafficking is
the most prominent among the other forms of crime linked to illicit weapons.
 Northern America is the principal subregion of departure for seized firearms,
according to the available data. On a smaller scale, Europe and Western Asia
are also major departure points for illicit flows. However, illicit flows within
subregions often account for significant propor- tions of firearms entering the
market, notably in South America, Northern and Western Europe and Western
Asia.

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The role of INTERPOL in tackling organized crime:
INTERPOL will assist member countries to tackle organized and emerging crime threats
through the following four action streams:
1. Identification of criminal networks Identify major figures engaged in serious transna-
tional crime, the associated criminal networks, and their key activities.
2. Illegal trafficking and illicit markets Combat the criminal networks involved in all
forms of illegal trafficking and identify and address new trends and illicit markets.
3. Enabling crimes and criminal convergence Identify links between seemingly unre-
lated types of crimes and how one crime can be used to support another and assist po-
lice in preventing such enabling crimes from leading to greater criminal activity.
4. Illicit flows of money and assets Disrupt the profits of organized criminal networks by
tracing and preventing the movement of criminal assets, as well as freezing and con-
fiscating them.

Examples of recent projects:

 Human Trafficking: September 2018, Sudan
Operation Sawiyan (26 – 30 August) involved 200 Sudanese officers who res-
cued 94 victims, including 85 minors, from criminal networks involved in ille-
gal migration, child labour and exploitation, and forced begging. The officers
represented national entities, which include the Criminal Investigation Depart-
ment, Immigration, Human Trafficking, Child Protection Unit, as well as IN-
TERPOL’s National Central Bureau in Khartoum.
 Drug Trafficking: May 2018, Fiji.
Following a significant increase in the volume of illegal drugs being trafficked
through the country, the Fiji authorities requested INTERPOL’s assistance. In
May 2018, INTERPOL delivered a comprehensive training course covering
drugs, financial investigations, and security document examination. Police
from Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, and Timor-
Leste learned how to use the Relief database which provides automatic analy-
sis of the tool marks, logos and chemical compositions of drug packages.
 Firearms Smuggling: February and April 2021, Guinea
As part of ongoing efforts to raise awareness of the INTERPOL Firearms Pro-
gramme in Guinea, INTERPOL helped establish 100 firearms focal points
from the police, the gendarmerie, customs, military camps, and the judicial
services across the country’s seven administrative regions. Training provided
to the focal points will enable them to trace weapons seized in their jurisdic-
tions via the iARMS system and work with their counterparts to fully investi-
gate firearms trafficking across the entire country. These activities took place
under Project Disrupt, funded by the European Union (EU).

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What is INTERPOL doing to tackle each of the above-mentioned crimes individually?
Namely the smuggling of firearms, Drug & Human trafficking.

Human Trafficking:
Human trafficking is a multi-billion-dollar form of international organized crime, constituting
modern-day slavery. Victims are targeted on their vulnerabilities and trafficked between
countries and regions using deception or coercion. Once they arrive at their destination, they
are stripped of their autonomy, freedom of movement and choice, and are forced to work in
precarious conditions. They often face various forms of physical and mental abuse. Human
trafficking is linked to several crimes, including illicit money flows, the use of fraudulent
travel documents, and Minors are particularly vulnerable to trafficking, as they are more eas-
ily manipulated and often don’t realize they are the victims of crime. Some may feel their so-
called employers are protecting them, particularly if they are given meals and accommoda-
tions.
INTERPOL recognizes the crucial role played by child protection units, social services and
NGOs in our member countries. We regularly engage and involve them in our activities to
ensure children are given the proper attention and care throughout investigations and opera-
tions. We train and equip police to identify and investigate cases of human trafficking.
We strive to empower police in our member countries to investigate and handle cases of hu-
man trafficking. This is done via:

Training: building long-term capacity by sharing the latest investigation and victim interview
techniques with officers.
1. INTERPOL’s policing capabilities and expertise: tools and systems for sharing intelli-
gence globally;
2. Global operations: concrete action in the field to disrupt and dismantle human traf-
ficking networks;
3. Partnerships: working across sectors to improve the ways in which trafficking can be
identified, reported and investigated;
4. Events and conferences: gathering experts from across the world;
5. Specialist groups which focus on frontline police work and the exchange of opera-
tional information;
6. Resources: covering general information, international legislation, and law enforce-
ment guides and manuals

INTERPOL supports national police in tactical deployments in the field, aimed at breaking
up the criminal networks behind trafficking in human beings. Operations are preceded
by training workshops to ensure that officers on the ground have the necessary skills,
including specialist interview techniques. Partnerships with local social services or relevant
inter-governmental organizations and non-governmental organizations ensure that
victims receive appropriate support.

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  Operation Spartacus: In June 2016, police across 25 countries in Central and
South America rescued a significant number of victims, made 134 arrests and
dismantled at least seven organized crime networks involved in human traf-
ficking. Similar operations were held in 2012 and 2014.
 Operation Akoma: More than 75 children, aged between five and 16, were res-
cued and 25 people arrested following two operations that targeted child traf-
ficking and exploitation in West Africa, focusing on the agricultural and trade
sectors in partnership with the International Organization for Migration
(2015).
 Operation Nawa: Police in Côte d’Ivoire rescued 76 children who had been
trafficked from across West Africa to work in cacao fields and illegal gold
mines. The February 2014 operation also led to the arrest and sentencing of
eight traffickers.

Dedicated officers working at INTERPOL’s Regional Bureaus will receive specialized train-
ing on human trafficking to support the Organization in gathering intelligence on such crimes
in their region and exchanging this information globally using INTERPOL’s databases and
other capabilities. Training local authorities to detect and prevent human trafficking is also
imperative. In conjunction with local police, INTERPOL organizes training courses at the
basic and advanced levels that are tailored to the specific circumstances in each region. IN-
TERPOL works closely with other key bodies involved in the fight against human
trafficking, including Eurojust, Europol, the International Organization for Migration, the
International Labour Organization, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in
Europe, the Southeast European Cooperative Initiative, and the United Nations Office on
Drugs and Crime. INTERPOL-coordinated operations are built to empower national police
forces with the skills and international network required to take on human trafficking. Ac-
tions in the field are preceded by training workshops to ensure that officers on the ground are
trained in a range of skills, including interview techniques and the use of INTERPOL’s tools
and databases. Deployments effectively combine police action with input from several differ-
ent actors such as customs and environmental officers, non-governmental organizations, offi-
cials from the Ministries of Health and Social Affairs, and prosecutors. In Sudan, 94 victims,
including 85 minors, were rescued from criminal networks involved in illegal migration,
child labour and exploitation, and forced begging. Nearly 350 potential victims of sexual ex-
ploitation and forced labour were in an INTERPOL-coordinated operation targeting human
trafficking in the Americas. Nearly 500 victims of human trafficking, including 236 minors,
were rescued simultaneously across Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, and Senegal. This border
security operation across West Africa resulted in the arrest of human traffickers, migrant
smugglers and the seizure of drugs, stolen vehicles, cash, and counterfeit goods. More than
100 frontline officers used INTERPOL global policing capabilities to identify criminals, vic-
tims, and illicit goods at 28 key border control points across 14 countries. More than 48 chil-
dren were rescued and 22 people arrested following an operation targeting child trafficking
and exploitation in Côte d’Ivoire. 76 children believed to have been trafficked across West
Africa for the purposes of illegal child labour were rescued in Côte d’Ivoire.

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Drug Smuggling:
The INTERPOL does a great job in tackling the global issue of drug smuggling especially in
countries with a low socio-economic background, with particular focus given to second world
countries like Latin America, Africa, El Salvador among others. In the words of the INTER-
POL, “We coordinate drug trafficking operations spanning different regions of the world, and
support drug operations and investigations led by national or international agencies. They aim
to disrupt the movement of specific products along routes affecting target regions or interna-
tional illicit drug flows.” Our operational working meetings serve as a platform for officers
worldwide to exchange information on cases where we have identified common links.
The Lionfish model of operations targets drug trafficking along every possible route: air,
land, and sea. First conducted in 2013 in Latin America, it has since expanded to other re-
gions of the world and involves thousands of law enforcement officials. Operation Lionfish
targets drug trafficking along air, land, and maritime routes. The Lionfish model of opera-
tions targets drug trafficking along air, land, and maritime routes, resulting in major seizures
and fresh intelligence. First held in Latin America in 2013, it has proven highly successful
and has since expanded to other regions of the world. External funding supports operation Li-
onfish. It is a fundamental part of our Project AMEAP (Africa-Middle East-Asia Pacific),
which coordinates initiatives against drug trafficking with funding by the INTERPOL Foun-
dation for a Safer World and the United Arab Emirates. Support from the Cocaine Route Pro-
gramme of the European Union helps cover other regions. The Lionfish global was our first
operation against illicit drugs and substances to take place on a global scale. Simultaneously,
93 countries combined forces and resources to enhance and intensify the exchange of infor-
mation on illicit drugs. A modernized anti-drug policy therefore is being focused toward
ending corruption through a broad strategy that includes strengthening government institu-
tions, the promotion of human rights, the reduction of impunity, the reduction of income ine-
quality, and the strengthening of education systems. Underlining the global impact posed by
drug trafficking, the representatives of over 100 countries from specialized anti-narcotics
agencies as well as from international cooperation divisions and INTERPOL National Central
Bureaus gathered at the first INTERPOL Global Conference on Illicit Drugs to tackle the
trafficking of drugs more efficiently. In this respect, with the recent seizure by Spanish au-
thorities of nearly nine tonnes of cocaine, the largest ever cache of drugs seized in a single
container in Europe, highlighting the scale of the drugs problem, Germán Lopez Iglesias, Di-
rector General of the Spanish National Police said: “The production, trafficking and use of
drugs point to a worldwide expansion of this illegal market and the objective of the confer-
ence has been to intensify collaboration between countries against one of the great evils of
the 21st century”. The meeting also provided an opportunity to review recent developments,
ramifications, and convergences of drug trafficking with other criminal activities such as
money laundering, cybercrime, and weapons trafficking. With over 250 million drug con-
sumers worldwide, INTERPOL’s Executive Director for Police Services, Tim Morris, said:
“The supply of illicit drugs everywhere around the globe is more abundant, more sophisti-
cated and more diverse than it has ever been before.” “The criminal structures operating the
current drug scene are as well organized and managed as legitimate multinational companies.
The economic benefits of their activities have been put at over USD 300 billion per year. This

16
is where the focus needs to be. Once you trace the assets, you can identify and disrupt the
network.” “With support and cooperation of financial institutions, such as banks, we need to
combine our efforts and resources to build synergies to efficiently trace the criminal assets
generated,” added Mr Morris. Through its global anti-corruption initiatives INTERPOL is an
active partner in the Stolen Asset Recovery Initiative (StAR) jointly ran by the United Na-
tions Office for Drugs and Crime and the World Bank. The meeting also provided an oppor-
tunity for representatives to be presented with new technologies, such as the RELIEF data-
base, a tool developed and provided by the Czech Republic to INTERPOL. It aims to better
identify the origin and routes of compressed drug deliveries and shipments, through an auto-
mated comparative analysis of the tool-marks, logos, and chemical compositions of drug
packages. Efficient cross-sector collaboration is also underpinned by operations, and in this
respect INTERPOL’s Lionfish Operations have been held in every region of the world. This
INTERPOL-led series of operations has served as an important initiative for strengthening
multilateral cross-border drug enforcement cooperation, providing effective channels of com-
munications via INTERPOL’s secure police channel, I-24/7. The illicit drug trade remains
one of the most dynamic criminal markets. With ample evidence showing the involvement of
criminal organizations in all stages of the illicit drug trade, the issue remains a global con-
cern, with different regions affected by emerging and escalating drug trafficking phenomena.
For example, of particular concern across the Middle East Region is Captagon, an ampheta-
mine-based substance produced in the region or on its immediate border. The market for Cap-
tagon across this region is large, with record seizures of Captagon tablets in recent years.
Nonetheless, very little is known or documented regarding the criminal organizations behind
this trade, nor their activities, which range from the production of the drug to money launder-
ing profits from its sale. Identifying and engaging with key law enforcement agencies within
the region to share real-time criminal data remains a challenge. A major global objective ex-
pected from the above is the establishment of a cross-border approach to tackle identified
drug crime areas through the global coordinating role of INTERPOL, in contrast to bilateral
arrangements or a decentralized, case-by-case approach. Increased access to database infor-
mation generated by INTERPOL member countries in different regions will also enhance in-
vestigations and prosecutions. Moreover, the lessons learned from successful investigations
in other regions of the world will help shape understanding of the full dimensions and impli-
cations of the illicit drug trade.

Firearms Smuggling:

17
The INTERPOL also helps police to identify firearms, track their movement and disrupt the
supply. The use of firearms by criminals endangers the safety of citizens in all countries of
the world. As well as their obvious use in armed robberies and murder, they are also linked to
a wide range of other crimes. These include corruption, environmental crime, human traffick-
ing, maritime piracy, organized crime and terrorist activities. Small arms and light weapons
are easy for criminals to conceal and transport, so trafficking in firearms is a lucrative busi-
ness which, in turn, fuels and funds other types of serious crimes. We help police to trace
firearms and link them to crime scenes and criminals across international borders. Tracing the
history and ownership of all recovered illicit firearms and comparing ballistics evidence of
recovered cartridge casings and ammunition can provide valuable investigative leads. This
can link seemingly unrelated crimes across many countries. The firearms recovered from a
crime may not always be the proverbial ‘smoking gun’ but they do provide essential clues.
We help member countries to identify trafficked firearms and the perpetrators and make links
to the wider patterns of related crimes. Every firearm is unique and can be identified by its
serial number, make, model and calibre, and fired bullets leave microscopic markings. Put-
ting the pieces of the puzzle together in firearms trafficking investigations is extremely com-
plex, so we have developed expert tools to guide law enforcement authorities. We help law
enforcement agencies address firearms crimes with three specific tools:
 The Illicit Arms Records and Tracing Management System (iARMS) which
stores records of illicit firearms, including stolen, lost, trafficked/smuggled
and seized firearms submitted for tracing.
 The INTERPOL Firearms Reference Table (IFRT) is an interactive online tool
that provides a standard framework for identifying and describing firearms.
 The INTERPOL Ballistic Information Network (IBIN) enables law enforce-
ment officials to compare images of ballistics (such as fired bullets and cas-
ing) to connect crimes.
 The Firearms Recovery Protocol provides guidance to law enforcement au-
thorities when investigating a recovered firearm or expended ammunition car-
tridge. The protocol has both a law enforcement and forensics component,
with the goal of both parties sharing information to solve cases of firearms
trafficking. Our notices system can be used to alert member countries to immi-
nent firearm-related threats.
 An Orange Notice can be issued to warn police, public entities and other inter-
national organizations about potential threats posed by disguised firearms
which they may not detect under normal circumstances.
 A Purple Notice can be issued to share information about specific firearms,
their parts, and related objects, as well as modus operandi for firearm-related
crime and trafficking.
Codenamed “KAFO” and jointly coordinated by INTERPOL and the United Nations Office
on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the cross-border operation targeted the people and networks

18
behind firearms trafficking in the region and beyond. Involving 110 officers from police, cus-
toms, border, and prosecution services from all three countries, the seven-day operation (11 -
17 November 2019) saw law enforcement intercept illicit firearms and make connections
with associated criminal activity, including terrorism. In addition to arrests, initial results in-
clude the identification of a trafficking network operating regionally from Côte d’Ivoire, the
seizure in Burkina Faso of illicit goods clearly linked to serious organized crime, and the con-
fiscation in Mali of tampered visas smuggled from Burkina Faso by bus, also suggesting an
organized crime connection. Further arrests and prosecutions are foreseen in all three coun-
tries as investigations continue to unfold. A police operation targeting firearms trafficking
across South America has seen thousands of illicit firearms seized, thousands of arrests and
investigative leads generated on crime networks and smuggling routes.

Over three weeks (8 - 28 March), Operation Trigger VI saw the arrest of almost 4,000 sus-
pects across all 13 South American countries, with some 200,000 illicit firearms, parts, com-
ponents, ammunition, and explosives recovered.

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Questions the resolution should answer:

 How can Organized Crime be tackled as a global threat

 What steps can be taken to reduce Human Trafficking rates across the globe

 What steps can be taken to reduce Drug Trafficking rates across the globe

 What steps can be taken to reduce Firearms Smuggling rates across the globe

Bibliography:
https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/press/releases/2010/June/organized-crime-has-globalized-
and-turned-into-a-security-threat.html

https://www.interpol.int/en/content/download/5506/file/Fact%20Sheet%20-%20Traffick-
ing%20in%20human%20beings.pdf

https://www.interpol.int/en/Crimes/Firearms-trafficking/Firearms-operations-and-events

https://www.interpol.int/en/content/download/5582/file/Global%20Strategy%20on%20Orga-
nized%20and%20Emerging%20Crime.pdf

https://www.interpol.int/en/Crimes/Drug-trafficking/Our-role-to-fight-drug-traffick-
ing#:~:text=for%20Police%20Services-,Operations,or%20international%20il-
licit%20drug%20flows.

https://www.interpol.int/en/Crimes/Drug-trafficking/Operation-Lionfish

https://www.interpol.int/en/News-and-Events/News/2021/South-American-crackdown-on-
illegal-gun-trade-reveals-serious-trafficking-despite-pandemic

https://www.interpol.int/en/Crimes/Human-trafficking/Our-role-in-fighting-human-traffick-
ing

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