Border security focus of Operation STOP in Rwanda

10 January 2023

Securing Rwanda’s borders through STOP operational exercise and capacity building

KIGALI, Rwanda – Efforts to boost border security in Rwanda through operational training and the enhanced use of INTERPOL policing tools saw thousands of checks carried out against its global databases.

The five-day (12 – 16 December 2022) Operation STOP (Smuggling Training and Operations Programme) aimed to strengthen efforts against cross-border crime by providing capacity building training to 20 participants on tracking the movement of criminals to identify and arrest them and safeguard potential victims via INTERPOL’s databases and I-24/7 secure communications channel.

Following the training exercise, officers from Customs, Immigration, the Rwanda Investigation Bureau and the INTERPOL National Central Bureau in Kigali were deployed to key border points in the capital and between Rwanda and Uganda.

They carried out more than 16,500 checks against INTERPOL’s databases, including those for nominal data on suspected criminals, stolen and lost travel documents, and stolen motor vehicles.

“Operation STOP enhances border security management and inter-agency cooperation. Through increased use of INTERPOL policing capabilities and mobile devices at border points, the initiative allows border officers to better check individuals and vehicles in real time, and identify potential criminals on the spot and their network.” Antoine Ngarambe, Head of the INTERPOL National Central Bureau in Kigali

Extending access to INTERPOL’s I-24/7 network and databases at key border points, with mobile technology allowing frontline officers to run instant checks, is central to the STOP initiative.

INTERPOL’s Director of Operational Support and Analysis, Cyril Gout, said: “Operation STOP is crucial in boosting the ability of officers to tackle crimes such as irregular migration, human trafficking and other cross-border crimes which harm national and regional security. Operational trainings directly enhance the crime-fighting skills of officers which are then put into practice to strengthen border security.”

The STOP initiative helps member countries to protect vulnerable communities in the African region through capacity building, operational support, and the consolidation of global information-sharing platforms.

Officers from Customs, Immigration, the Rwanda Investigation Bureau and the INTERPOL National Central Bureau in Kigali were deployed to key border points in the capital and between Rwanda and Uganda.

Officers were provided with INTERPOL mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones, allowing them to run checks against INTERPOL’s databases

More than 16,500 checks were carried out against INTERPOL’s databases during Operation STOP.

At the heart of the project is the extension of access for police at strategic border points to INTERPOL's secure global police communications network.

To this end, Rwandan frontline officers were provided with INTERPOL mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones, allowing them to run checks against INTERPOL’s databases and receive an instant response.