INTERPOL s Investigative Support to the Fight against NPS

Transcription

1 INTERPOL s Investigative Support to the Fight against NPS Presented at the SICH Project Final 114th Session of INCB 20 November 2015 Daoming ZHANG INTERPOL General Secretariat

2 Basic Observations

3 The market for illicit drugs remains the most dynamic and one of the most lucrative among the criminal markets and involves about 30% of identified OCGs The trafficking routes are continuously diversifying via air, land and sea Poly-drug trafficking is now a common modus operandi Synthetics and NPS are produced in complex processes lacking control mechanisms Low quality products are used as precursors or cutting agents

4 Pesticides and insecticides are intensively used to maximise cannabis harvest yields Pursuit to minimise production costs entails serious risks for drug users Consequences: violence, public health issues, enviromental polution, high number of deaths and perceived insecurity

5 Factors Effecting Changes on Trafficking Routes Drug/precursor trafficking route changes depend on Demand, risk, financial gains Law enforcement efficiency and capacity Trends in licit trade Instability and conflicts Governance and corruption Poverty- socio economic issues Source: World Economy Forum.

6 > 70 of NPS emerge every year, around 600 are available Currently constitute relatively small share of illicit drug market However lower prices, increased availability and quality are likely to attract more users Increasingly for sale online NPS The involvement of OC in NPS production is limited; however, low risks and high profits will attract OC to this developing and rapidly expanding market 6

7 INTERPOL s Responses and Investigative Support

8 I. Dedicated Teams Criminal Organizations and Drugs Subdirectorate (drugs, NPS, doping) Global Health and Safety Sub-Directorate (counterfeit medicines) Cyber Innovation and Outreach Directorate (cybercrime)

9 II. Worldwide Networks of Law Enforcement 190 member countries represented by National Central Bureaus (NCB) INTERPOL is one of the official channels to exchange drug samples Working group networks International and regional partners National partners

10 III. Secure Communications System: I-24/7 All member countries are connected; Platform for sharing criminal information among LEAs; Gateway to INTERPOL databases; Around-the-clock access to crucial data in seconds; Extension to all law enforcement agencies FIND, MIND solution to front line LEOs

11 IV. Law Enforcement Databases Nominals Stolen/Lost Travel Documents Stolen Motor Vehicles Fingerprints Wanted Stolen Works of Art DNA Child Sexual Abuse Images

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13 VI. Analysis

14 VII. Publications Alerts Analytical reports

15 VIII. Incident Response Team (IRT) Member country requests for assistance from INTERPOL for a very important seizure INTERPOL assembles team for quick intervention on site

16 Provides crisis support, deployment of Incident Response Teams (IRT), INTERPOL Major Events Support Teams (IMEST) or Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) teams IX. Command and Coordination Centre (CCC) Operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week in INTERPOL s four official languages from Lyon, Buenos Aires and Singapore Issuing Notices; Monitoring message traffic and media sources; Coordinating exchange of information among member countries;

17 X. Projects

18 Project FORTALEZA Latin America Organized Crime Establish an international cooperation platform Enhance intelligence exchange, share data, promote operational cooperation between countries and international organizations

19 Anti-doping Initiative - Agreement with WADA Exchange of information Sharing of expertise ( police network ) (scientific knowledge )

20 Project Drug.net Information exchange operational support Joint approach with INTERPOL cyber experts

21 UNODC Project AIRCOP (Airport Communication Project) EU WCO UNODC INTERPOL Canada Police Customs Joint Teams

22 INCB Projects on Precursor Chemicals & NPS INCB Project PRISM - Task Force (ATS) INCB Project COHESION - Task Force (cocaine/heroin) INCB Project ION - (NPS) Riscc EPS/NPS

23 XI. Operations Operations with WCO - WESTERLIES against illicit trafficking in methamphetamine by air passengers; Sky-net against illicit trafficking in drugs or chemical precursors through postmail or express mails Operation with INCB - Postman against NPS Operations with Europol

24 Operation Pangea VIII (19 May 16 June 2015) 115 countries 236 agencies 23.5 million units seized

25 Main Objectives Alert patients to the risks of buying medicines and medical devices online Identify and close illicit websites Suspend payment transactions Disrupt criminal activities Customs Seizure Long-Term Investigations

26 Multiple Stakeholders 236 Police, Customs and Drug Regulators Agencies from 115 countries International Organizations INTERPOL World Customs Organization EUROPOL Permanent Forum on International Pharmaceutical Crime (PFIPC) Working Group of Enforcement Officers (WGEO)

27 Detailed Results Inspections in postal hubs and other facilities 171,304 packages inspected 50,852 packages seized 296 individuals arrested for various offences Selling medicines without a license Operating a clandestine laboratory producing counterfeits Operating websites selling illicit medicines Illegal sale of medicines Supplying unlicensed medicines 23,530,553 million units seized Estimated value of 75.3 million USD Seized medicines belong to over 20 different therapeutic categories Erectile dysfunction (ED) medicines most commonly seized 2,700 websites shut down (domain name or payment facility removed) 546 adverts also removed from auction websites and social media platforms

28 Detailed results 1,461 specific investigations launched 296 suspects arrested/investigated 198 search warrants issued

29 Medical Products Seized by Therapeutic Category Primary Medicines Seized: 1.Erectile Dysfunction 2.Herbal products 3.Hypnotic and sedatives 4.Anorexiants 5.Analgesic/Painkiller 6.Anti-histamines

30 Region of Seizure of Illicit Medical Products

31 Country of origin of shipment

32 833 articles published on Pangea VIII Media Coverage Audience approximately 1,313 million people Estimated value of publicity: USD 12.1 million

33 Lessons Learnt OPERATION LIONFISH II Participation of key players in member countries is essential Make full use of available national, regional and international databases (INTERPOL, WCO, EUROPOL) Operational plan - NOPs - intelligence Simple and secure communication system Simple forms to reported cases and statistics More feeds, more feedbacks

34 XII. Training Training must have an operational cut, and normally a training stage is followed by an operational activity on the ground

35 CAPACITY BUILDING AND TRAINING Training Operation Post-Op Use of INTERPOL databases Best practices for border security Train-the- Trainer sessions Putting training into practice Facilitated by INTERPOL staff NCBs followup Local officers trained to conduct their own operations in future Sustainability

36 Future Strive

37 In a world where national and international boundaries are increasingly irrelevant, the need S lution for cooperation and coordination among law enforcement and our partners has never been greater.

38 Factors for Successful Investigations Real time intelligence sharing Viewing seizures not as the end. Interagency cooperation Co-operation for MLA requests Assistance from partners To focus on : Seizure of proceeds Dismantling of OCGs

39 INTERPOL s NEXTs INTERPOL tools and services development and promotion Trainings and operations Digital security and cybercrime International partnership development

40 Thank you! Daoming ZHANG ICPO-INTERPOL General Secretariat Tel: +33 (0) d.zhang@interpol.int