The ICPO (International Criminal Police Organization)- INTERPOL

I-Introduction
Upon reading this you may learn what is INTERPOL all about. This attempts to
bringing you on to picture of how an organization having a command to act on
international crimes and concern works. How the organization counter play with ruling
power of states domestic laws in relation to the international law and relation among
states while acting on international concerns.
Background
Interpol was established in 1923, with the General Secretariatthe international
headquarterslocated in Lyons, France. Delegates from member countries meet once a
year to discuss police problems and admit new members. Each member nation
maintains and staffs its own national central bureau. In the United States, the bureau is
located in Washington, D.C. The U.S. bureau is under the direction and control of the
Departments of Justice and of the Treasury, and is staffed by personnel from those
departments.
The General Secretariat is supported by membership dues. Its budget is based
on the Swiss franc, since that is a stable currency. Approximately five percent of the
total budget is paid by the United States.
Interpol is forbidden by its constitution to undertake any intervention or activities
of a political, military, religious, or racial character. Each national central bureau
coordinates and responds to inquiries received from local and foreign law enforcement
agencies. Each bureau also arranges for resolutions adopted by Interpol to be applied
at the national level, and works to ensure that the basic principles laid down by
Interpol's constitution are followed. National central bureaus are linked electronically to
the Interpol General Secretariat's main database in Lyons.
The organization uses a system of international notices (circulars) to inform
peace officers in the national bureaus of cases where known criminals abandon their
usual residence and travel abroad surreptitiously. The color coded circulars are
distributed by Interpol Headquarters to member countries within twenty days of their
issue, or, in urgent cases, the same day. In the case of a fugitive whose arrest is
requested and whose Extradition is likely, a wanted notice containing details of the
arrest warrant and the offense committed is circulated.
It conducts criminal history checks for visa and import permits and traces vehicle
registration and ownership. Interpol also performs humanitarian services such as
locating missing persons and providing notification of serious illness or death.




II- DISCUSSIONS
What is INTERPOL?
INTERPOL is the International Criminal Police Organization, created as the
International Criminal Police to further cross-border cooperation when it came to
solving crimes. INTERPOL aims to get investigations over jurisdictional hurdles even
when countries do not have diplomatic relations with one another. INTERPOL is
headquartered in Lyon, France. The money for operations comes from the member
states.
Who are members?
There are 187 members in INTERPOL, ranging from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe.
The following countries are not members: Samoa, Palau, Solomon Islands, Kiribati,
Federated States of Micronesia, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and North Korea. The following
regions are sub-bureaus: Bermuda, Gibraltar, Cayman Islands, Anguilla, Montserrat,
British Virgin Islands, Turks and Caicos, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Hong Kong and
Macao.
What crimes does INTERPOL investigate?
Drug trafficking, organized crime, financial and high-tech crimes, including
counterfeiting and money laundering, public safety and terrorism, human trafficking,
corruption, environmental crimes, and crimes against humanity. In addition,
INTERPOL's Fugitive Investigation Service keeps an eye out for suspects globally with
its Red Notice alerts that notify member states when one nation has issued an arrest
warrant for a suspect.
What are INTERPOL's core functions?
1. Secure global police communications services
2. Provide Global databases and data services (including DNA, fingerprints, and
other information on criminals) for police
3. Provide Operational police support services (with a 24/7 Command and Control
Center that can dispatch an Incident Response Team in case of a serious crime
or disaster)
4. Training and Development to member countries
Dark history:
The International Criminal Police, founded in Austria in 1923, came under Nazi
control after the Anschluss in 1938. Four Nazis served as the organization's president
until 1945, when the Allies resurrected the organization as International Criminal Police
Organization and established the headquarters of the new group in France.
Current leaders:
Singapore's Khoo Boon Hui is president, while Ronald Noble, who used to be in
charge of the U.S. Secret Service and the ATF during the Clinton administration, serves
as secretary general.

III: HOW INTERPOL WORKS?
DETECTING WANTED PERSONS
INTERPOLs color-coded international Notices system informs member countries
of the movements of known international criminals either subject to arrest and
extradition or suspected of criminal involvement. The most widely known is the Red
Notice, an international request by an INTERPOL member country for the provisional
arrest of an individual who has been charged with a crime by a judicial authority and
based on the requesting countrys commitment to seek extradition.
In addition, INTERPOL in cooperation with the Security Councils 1267
Committee created the INTERPOL-United Nations Security Council Special Notices.
These Special Notices alert national police services to groups or individuals associated
with Al Qaida and the Taliban who are subject to UN sanctions. The Special Notice can
be especially effective in promoting enforcement of the travel ban as they are available
to all of INTERPOLs member countries through the Organizations I-24/7
communications system. To date, approximately 290 of these Notices have been
published.


VERIFY THE AUTHENTICITY OF TRAVEL DOCUMENTS

Bearing in mind that terrorists and other serious criminals often use false
documents to travel, in 2002 Interpol created and launched its database on Stolen and
Lost Travel Documents (SLTD). This database, which is also available to all of
INTERPOLs member countries through the I-24/7 system, currently contains more than
15.5 million documents reported by more than 120 countries. However, in many
countries, this information may only available at the INTERPOL national focal point, or
NCB.


BRINGING INFORMATION TO THE BORDER

INTERPOL has developed new integrated solutions to allow for direct
access to INTERPOLs databases. This new technology called FIND / MIND refers to
the two different ways of connecting INTERPOLs databases at border entry points or
other remote field locations. At present, this new technical solution is primarily used to
access the INTERPOL databases on Stolen and Lost Travel Document and Stolen Moto
Vehicles. Work is currently underway to also include direct access to INTERPOLs
other databases.


BORDERS AND PORTS SECURITY CENTER AT THE INTERPOL GENERAL
SECRETARIAT

Finally, to strengthen border protection, INTERPOL intends to establish a Border
and Ports Security Center at its General Secretariat in Lyon, France. The goal of the
Center will be to increase security at borders and all points of entry by supporting
member countries in the monitoring, prevention and investigation of fraudulent and
illegal activities in these areas. The specific objectives of this Center will be to monitor,
analyze and report on the use of INTERPOLS tools, such as the Stolen and Lost Travel
Documents database, by member countries and to co-ordinate the delivery of training
and other capacity-building measures that would help member countries comply with
the present international security requirements for ports-of-entry. The Center will
develop strong linkages with other international organizations involved in port security
and enforcement.


IV ANALYSIS AND CONCLUSION

International Criminal Police Organization plays an important role in helping
member and non-member states in dealing with crimes of international concerns and
threats. The organizations strategic and systematic collecting and sharing of
informations to monitor movements of personalities and groups under the INTERPOL
watch list, shall help prevent the international threats. Getting network and sharing
information with the local police forces shall further intensify intelligence network and
territorial defenses from possible threats of chaos.






SPECIAL ISSUES IN INTERNATIONAL LAW

BY: VINZIN M SAVANDO