LYON, France ‒ INTERPOL has announced that Noboru Nakatani of Japan, currently the Special Advisor to the Commissioner General of Japan's National Police Agency (NPA), and Director of the NPA’s Transnational Organized Crime Office, has been appointed as the Executive Director of the INTERPOL Global Complex for Innovation (IGCI) in Singapore.
The state-of-the-art facility, due to become operational in early 2014, will equip the world’s police with the tools and knowledge to better tackle the crime threats of the 21st century. As a research and development facility for the identification of crimes and criminals, it will provide innovative training and operational support for law enforcement across the globe.
During the building’s ongoing construction, Mr Nakatani will oversee and coordinate the creation and development of the programmes and services that will be delivered from the IGCI by INTERPOL to its 190 member countries.
Mr Nakatani previously held the post of Director of Information Systems and Technology at INTERPOL’s General Secretariat headquarters, overseeing the development of innovative IT services for the global law enforcement community. He also served as Assistant Director of INTERPOL’s Financial and High Tech Crime unit where he specialized in cybercrime and cyber security issues.
At Japan's National Police Agency, Mr Nakatani held the post of Senior Assistant Director for cybercrime, as well as Executive Officer to the Minister of State, the Chairperson of the National Public Safety Commission.
"I am very pleased that the Government of Japan has allowed Mr Nakatani to return to INTERPOL in order to take up this challenging and historic post; it reaffirms Japan's strong commitment to INTERPOL and to international police cooperation," said INTERPOL President Khoo Boon Hui.
INTERPOL Secretary General Ronald K. Noble added that Mr Nakatani's intellectual power, proven leadership ability and demonstrated expertise in the areas of cyber security and cybercrime in Japan and at INTERPOL "will combine to ensure that INTERPOL's Global Complex for Innovation provides our 190 member countries with much needed training, innovation and support in the both the virtual and real worlds".
"Through Mr Nakatani’s appointment as Executive Director of the IGCI, all member countries and INTERPOL staff will benefit from his vision and cutting-edge approach to developing responses to emerging threats, in a rapidly evolving policing environment where capacity building and training at all levels will take on an ever increasingly important role,” concluded Secretary General Noble.
Mr Nakatani will take up the three-year post in April 2012.