Security tops agenda in Libyan Interior Minister and INTERPOL Chief meeting

5 September 2019
People smuggling and countering terrorism the focus of talks between the two leaders

LYON, France - Libya’s Interior Minister, Fathi Bashagha met with INTERPOL Secretary General Jürgen Stock to discuss a range of crime and security issues.

The Minister also held discussions with other senior INTERPOL officials, particularly in relation to people smuggling, human trafficking and law enforcement capacity building.

Information sharing via INTERPOL's National Central Bureau in Tripoli on Da'esh affiliates and international syndicates behind people smuggling towards the Mediterranean was at the core of the visit. Tracing links from such groups to other regions was agreed as a top priority for joint action.

INTERPOL has deployed a number of teams to Libya in 2018 and 2019 to support national authorities implement Project FIRST (Facial, Imaging, Recognition, Searching and Tracking).

Libya is also participating in INTERPOL’s Project Sharaka, which focuses on the global exchange of information to help detect and intercept members of terrorist networks through technology, capacity building and police operations.