Slovenian Minister of Interior
10 December 2021 – Slovenia’s Minister of the Interior Aleš Hojs met with INTERPOL Secretary General Jürgen Stock and other senior officials during a visit to the General Secretariat headquarters.
Slovenia was one of the first countries to automate INTERPOL database access for all frontline police officers, and today is one of the highest users of INTERPOL’s global databases.
In discussions with Secretary General Stock, the Minister was also updated on INTERPOL’s ongoing activities to support its 195 member countries combat child sexual abuse and human trafficking.
Minister Hojs and his delegation were also briefed on INTERPOL’s I-Familia global database, the first of its kind, which helps identify missing persons based on international DNA kinship matching, when direct comparison is not possible.
Commissioner of the Somali Police Force
15 November 2021 - Commissioner of the Somali Police Force Major General Abdi Hassan Mohamed was welcomed to the General Secretariat headquarters by Secretary General Jürgen Stock.
One of the main topics during the meeting was INTERPOL’s Counter-Terrorism initiatives and support for Somalia, in particular expanding access to INTERPOL’s databases to boost the ability of frontline officers at air, land and sea border crossings to detect potential terrorists or criminals.
Major General Mohamed was also briefed on INTERPOL’s assistance to member countries in identifying and dismantling criminal organizations in Africa, with particular emphasis on trafficking of human beings, money laundering and drug trafficking.
During his visit, the Commissioner visited INTERPOL’s Command and Coordination Centre, which provides round-the-clock support to the Organization’s 194 member countries.
Director of the Austrian Criminal Intelligence Service
12 November 2021 – Andreas Holzer, Director of the Austrian Criminal Intelligence Service (CIS), was welcomed to the INTERPOL General Secretariat by INTERPOL Secretary General Jürgen Stock.
Identifying areas for increased cooperation and additional operational support to tackle transnational crimes, particularly cybercrime, was a key issue in the discussions.
Mr Holzer was also updated on the range of INTERPOL’s policing capabilities including counter-terrorism and organized crime.
French Interior Minister
7 October 2021 – French Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin met with INTERPOL Secretary General Jürgen Stock to discuss a range of crime and security issues.
Accompanied by Prefect of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region Pascal Mailhos and Director General of the French National Police Frédéric Veaux, the Minister was briefed on how INTERPOL’s global security architecture assists French national security.
The meeting at the General Secretariat headquarters was also an opportunity for Minister Darmanin and Secretary General Stock to discuss the outcomes from the recent G7 Interior and Security Ministers they both attended in London.
There have been close ties between INTERPOL and its host country, France, since establishing its General Secretariat headquarters first in Paris in 1946 and then in Lyon since 1989.
Belgian Minister of Justice
20 September 2021 – Belgium’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice Vincent Van Quickenborne was updated on INTERPOL’s activities, including the newly launched I-Familia database during a visit to the General Secretariat Headquarters.
In discussions with Secretary General Jürgen Stock, the Minister was also briefed on INTERPOL’s activities in a range of crime areas including cybercrime, child sexual exploitation, financial and economic crime, and counter-terrorism.
INTERPOL’s I-Familia global database, the first of its kind, helps identify missing persons based on international DNA kinship matching, when direct comparison is not possible. It has already helped police solve a 16 year old cold case involving an Italian man who had been missing since 2004.
“In a world where crime doesn’t know borders, it is crucial to enhance international cooperation between law enforcement agencies. Belgium is interested to use the new I- Familia database. This database provides many new possibilities to identify missing persons and give answers to families,” said Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice Van Quickenborne.
Secretary General Stock said the visit was also an opportunity to identify other areas for even greater cooperation.
“Belgium is already a strong user of INTERPOL’s capabilities, especially in combating online child sexual exploitation, migrant smuggling and drug trafficking.
“INTERPOL will continue to provide support for Belgian security priorities as no one country or region can address today’s transnational crime threats alone,” said Secretary General Stock.
Libyan Minister of Interior
13 September 2021 - Khalid Al-Tijani Mazen, Libya’s Minister of Interior was welcomed to the General Secretariat headquarters by the head of INTERPOL, Jürgen Stock for discussions on a range of crime and security issues.
The Minister was also briefed by other senior INTERPOL officials on the Organization’s counter-terrorism initiative and areas of support to member countries in tackling illegal immigration networks and people smuggling, money laundering and corruption.
The visit follows Libya’s successful participation in two recent INTERPOL-coordinated operations.
Operation Weka, which targeted human trafficking and migrant smuggling networks which resulted in the rescue of 500 victims and 195 arrests, and Operation Lionfish in which 17 tonnes of cannabis resin, valued at EUR 31 million, destined for Libya were confiscated in Niger.
Capacity building was also discussed during the Minister’s visit, with Libyan law enforcement officers benefitting from an INTERPOL training course on how best to exploit the Internet and specific social media sites in counter-terrorism investigations.
Bavarian State Minister of the Interior
3 September 2020 – INTERPOL Chief Jürgen Stock welcomed Bavaria’s State Minister of the Interior Joachim Herrmann, to the organization’s General Secretariat headquarters.
The impact of COVID-19 on crime trends and policing activities was a key issue during discussions with a focus on cybercrime.
In 2019, Bavaria became the first federal state in Germany where police can automatically access INTERPOL's Stolen and Lost Travel Documents database.
Chief of Afghan National Police
29 July 2020 - General Abdul Saboor Qani, Chief of Afghan National Police and Senior Deputy Minister of Interior was welcomed to the General Secretariat headquarters by the head of INTERPOL, Jürgen Stock.
Accompanied by Brigadier General Ahmad Zia Rashidi, Head of the National Central Bureau in Kabul, General Qani also met with other senior officials for briefings on the Organization’s support to member countries in combating terrorism and organized crime.
The visit followed the Secretary General’s mission to Kabul in August 2019 where he met with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.
General Qani provided an overview of the challenging security environment and the role of the Afghan National Police on the front line of protecting the Afghanistan people from terrorism.
Secretary General Stock commended the NCB as one of the most active in the region and said the Organization remained committed to assist its excellent work, including to help deliver Afghanistan’s strategic plan for its police.
Director General of the French National Police
26 June 2020 – Frédéric Veaux, Director General of the French National Police, the first visitor to the General Secretariat headquarters since the lifting of confinement measures in France, was welcomed by INTERPOL Secretary General Jürgen Stock.
Préfet Veaux was briefed by the INTERPOL Chief and other senior officials on the Organization’s activities including combating terrorism, cybercrime, child exploitation and human trafficking.
The French delegation, which included Jean-Jacques Colombi, INTERPOL Executive Committee Delegate for Europe, was also updated on INTERPOL’s specific COVID-19 related activities.
In addition to INTERPOL’s global threat assessments, a number of purple notices, which provide information on objects, devices and concealment methods used by criminals, have also been issued to its 194 member countries.
These include warnings about cybercriminals targeting critical healthcare institutions with ransomware, financial frauds and criminal groups using food delivery services to traffic drugs during government-imposed lockdowns.
Burkina Faso Minister of Security
10 February 2020 – Burkina Faso’s Minister of Security Ousseni Compaoré was welcomed to the General Secretariat headquarters by INTERPOL Chief Jürgen Stock.
The visit follows the Secretary General’s mission to Ouagadougou in September last year when he and Minister Compaoré signed an agreement for the extension of INTERPOL’s West African Police Information System (WAPIS) programme across the country.
WAPIS, implemented by INTERPOL and funded by the European Union, will see the creation of national criminal data systems in each of the 15 ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) countries, plus Mauritania and Chad, along with the development of a regional platform for stronger criminal data exchange.
In addition, in 2019 a memorandum of understanding between INTERPOL and the G5 Sahel Permanent Secretariat also supports increased information sharing to better address current and emerging terrorist threats across the region.
With Burkina Faso having recently established its Central Cybercrime Unit, areas for additional cooperation with INTERPOL in tackling cybercrime was also a key issue for discussion.
Advising Minister to the President in Charge of Security Sector Reform, Guinea
16 January 2020 – INTERPOL Secretary General Jürgen Stock welcomed Maramany Cissé, Advising Minister to the President in Charge of Security Sector Reform in Guinea to the General Secretariat headquarters.
The security situation in West Africa, particularly in relation to terrorism and Gulf of Guinea countries, was discussed by Minister Cissé and Secretary General Stock.
Minister Cissé was also briefed on INTERPOL’s initiatives to support member countries in combating organized crime.
An active member of INTERPOL, in 2019 Guinea took part in two important operations to enhance border security. In Operation Stop, over two days officers in Guinea conducted more than 23,000 checks against INTERPOL’s databases, resulting in three ‘hits’ for Stolen and Lost Travel Documents.
Guinea was also one of 13 countries which took part in Operation Adwenpa IV which resulted in the identification of more than 100 potential human trafficking victims including 35 minors.
Japan Minister of State and Chairman of the National Public Safety Commission
8 January 2020 - Japan’s Minister of State and Chairman of the National Public Safety Commission, Takeda Ryota was welcomed to the General Secretariat by INTERPOL Chief Jürgen Stock.
Minister Takeda and Secretary General Stock discussed security issues relating to the upcoming Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games and how INTERPOL can provide additional support to national law enforcement efforts.
Counter-terrorism was high on the agenda with Japan and INTERPOL both members of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS.
In April last year, G7 Interior Ministers – of which Japan is a member - called for increased operational cooperation and sharing of law enforcement information via INTERPOL to better combat human trafficking, terrorism and environmental crime.
Japan has supported a range of INTERPOL-coordinated training and operations in the Middle East and North Africa, Southeast Asia and South Asia regions.
Amongst these is Project Kalkan which addresses emerging trends and challenges in combating the terrorist threat throughout Central Asia, and focuses on facilitating the exchange of information and operational coordination.
National Director of Public Security for Portugal
17 December 2019 – INTERPOL Secretary General Jürgen Stock welcomed Luis Peça Farinha, National Director of Public Security for Portugal to the General Secretariat headquarters.
Portugal is an active participant in INTERPOL-led operations in combating all forms of crime, in particular border screening and Organized Crime, especially environmental crime such as the 30 Days at Sea and Thunderball operations carried out this year.
During his visit, Mr Farinha was also briefed on INTERPOL’s counter-terrorism activities and visited INTERPOL’s Command and Coordination Centre, which provides round-the-clock support to the Organization’s 194 member countries.
Tanzania Minister of Home Affairs
2 December 2019 - LYON, France – Tanzania’s Minister of Home Affairs Kangi Alphaxard Lugola was welcomed to the INTERPOL General Secretariat headquarters by Secretary General Jürgen Stock.
Meeting with senior INTERPOL officials throughout the official visit, the Ministerial delegation was briefed on INTERPOL’s initiatives to support member countries in tackling organized crime and terrorism.
With INTERPOL’s Regional Bureau for Eastern Africa serving as Secretariat to the Eastern Africa Police Chiefs Cooperation Organization (EAPCCO), Minister Lugola was accompanied by EAPCCO Chairman, Tanzania’s Inspector General of Police Simon Nyakoro Sirro.
Discussions focused on new INTERPOL initiatives in East Africa, the use of INTERPOL policing capabilities in the region and the technological and operational support services provided by INTERPOL’s Regional Bureau in Nairobi.
Minister Lugola and his delegation visited INTERPOL’s Command and Coordination Centre which provides round-the-clock support to the Organization’s 194 member countries.
Deputy Director General of Italian Public Security
13 September 2019 - LYON, France – INTERPOL Secretary General Jürgen Stock welcomed Prefect Vittorio Rizzi, Deputy Director General of Public Security and Central Director of the Italian Criminal Police to the General Secretariat headquarters.
Prefect Rizzi was briefed on INTERPOL’s initiatives to support member countries activities in combating organized crime and terrorism. Discussions between the senior INTERPOL and Italian officials also touched upon ‘Ndrangheta networks global reach and the need for cross -regional awareness and police cooperation.
With Italy amongst the highest users of INTERPOL’s global databases, Prefect Rizzi also visited INTERPOL’s Command and Coordination Centre which provides round-the-clock support to the Organization’s 194 member countries.
Président, Grand Lyon Metropole
9 September 2019 - David Kimelfeld, Président of the Grand Lyon Metropole was welcomed to the INTERPOL General Secretariat headquarters by Secretary General Jürgen Stock.
The visit comes ahead of the 30-year anniversary of INTERPOL establishing its General Secretariat headquarters in Lyon which will be celebrated in November.
Currently some 750 officials from more than 100 countries are based at the General Secretariat which last year held 103 conferences and meetings, attended by more than 3,200 visitors from around the world.
Slovenia Director General of the Police
6 September 2019 – INTERPOL Chief Jürgen Stock welcomed Slovenia’s Director General of the Police, Tatjana Bobnar, to the General Secretariat headquarters.
Director General Bobnar was briefed on INTERPOL’s cybercrime and organized crime strategies and initiatives, as well as on the Organization’s counter-terrorism programmes and the operational support available to its 194 member countries.
The Secretary General also thanked Slovenia for its close cooperation with INTERPOL’s Fugitive Investigative Support unit that works with member countries to track down criminals who are on the run.
Argentina Secretary of Security
8 July 2019 - Eugenio Burcazo, Argentina’s Secretary of Security was welcomed to the INTERPOL General Secretariat headquarters by Secretary General Jürgen Stock.
Accompanied by Néstor Roncaglia, Head of Policia Federal Argentina and INTERPOL Vice President for the Americas, and Gastón Schulmeister, the National Director of International Cooperation on Security, Mr Burcazo also met with other senior INTERPOL officials during the visit.
Tackling organized crime, with a focus on drug trafficking, was a key area for dicussion as well as Argentina’s significant increased use of INTERPOL’s databases. In the past three years, the number of checks against the Stolen and Lost Travel Documents database has increased by 1,000 per cent.
In 2010, the INTERPOL Regional Bureau for South America was opened in Buenos Aires. Providing assistance to the 12 National Central Bureaus in the region for their daily work, RB Buenos Aires also hosts one of the Organization’s three Command and Coordination Centre operations rooms.
Central Director of the French Judicial Police
3 June 2019 - INTERPOL Secretary General Jürgen Stock welcomed Jérôme Bonet, Central Director of the French Judicial Police (DCPJ) and Head of NCB Paris, to the General Secretariat headquarters.
The Central Director was briefed on the range of INTERPOL’s global policing capabilities focusing on counter-terrorism, combating online child sexual abuse, cybercrime and biometrics.
Accompanied by Executive Committee member Jean-Jacques Colombi, Delegate for Europe, Mr Bonet also visited INTERPOL’s Command and Coordination Centre which provides round-the-clock support to the Organization’s 194 member countries.
France is one of the highest contributors to, and users of, INTERPOL’s global databases which contain some 97 million records.
Armenia Chief of Police
14 May 2019 - INTERPOL Secretary General Jürgen Stock welcomed Armenia’s Chief of Police Valeriy Osipyan to the General Secretariat headquarters.
The Police Chief was briefed on the range of INTERPOL’s policing capabilities including counter-terrorism and cybercrime.
Mr Osipyan and his delegation was also given an overview of INTERPOL’s global databases and operational support to its 194 member countries.
Finnish National Police Commissioner
26 February 2019 - INTERPOL Chief Jürgen Stock welcomed Seppo Kolehmainen, National Police Commissioner of Finland to the General Secretariat in Lyon.
The Commissioner was briefed on INTERPOL’s global policing capabilities including counter-terrorism and organized crime.
Director General of the French National Police
18 January 2019 - INTERPOL Secretary General Jürgen Stock welcomed Eric Morvan, Director General of the French National Police (DGPN) to the General Secretariat headquarters.
In addition being one of the highest contributors to, and users of, INTERPOL’s global databases, France is also one of the top countries in sharing data on foreign terrorist fighters.
Executive Committee member Jean-Jacques Colombi, Delegate for Europe accompanied Director General Morvan who was updated on the technological and operational support provided by INTERPOL to each of its 194 member countries.
France has been the host country to INTERPOL’s General Secretariat headquarters since 1946, first in Paris and in Lyon from 1989.
Belgian Police Commissioner General
10 October 2018 - INTERPOL Secretary General Jürgen Stock welcomed Marc De Mesmaeker, Commissioner General of the Belgian Federal Police to the General Secretariat headquarters.
The Commissioner General, who took up his post in June, was briefed on the range of INTERPOL’s global policing capabilities including counter-terrorism and cybercrime.
Mr De Mesmaeker and his delegation were also updated on the technological and operational support provided by the world police body to each of our member countries.
Djibouti Police Chief
9 October 2018 - Abdillahi Abdi Farah, Djibouti’s Chief of Police, met with INTERPOL Secretary General Jürgen Stock at the General Secretariat headquarters.
Combating transnational organized crime and terrorism were the main areas of discussion with the police chief also briefed on the range of INTERPOL’s global policing capabilities.
Kazakhstan Minister of Justice
9 October 2018 - Kazakhstan’s Minister of Justice Marat Beketayev met with INTERPOL Secretary General Jürgen Stock at the General Secretariat headquarters.
Areas of discussion focused on cooperation between INTERPOL and Kazakhstan against transnational organized crime and the use of INTERPOL’s global policing capabilities to counter international, regional and national security threats.
Acting US Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security
8 October 2018 - Acting US Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Claire Grady met with INTERPOL Secretary General Jürgen Stock during a visit to the INTERPOL General Secretariat headquarters.
Acting Deputy Secretary Grady and her delegation were updated on areas of cooperation with INTERPOL including counter-terrorism, cybercrime, organized crime and border management.
Discussions also focused on the use of INTERPOL's databases in identifying and interdicting foreign terrorist fighters.
EU Commissioner for the Security Union
8 October 2018 - Secretary General Jürgen Stock met with European Union Commissioner for the Security Union, Sir Julian King at the General Secretariat headquarters in Lyon, France.
Discussions focussed on areas of ongoing and future enhanced cooperation to tackle organized crime and terrorism.
Qatar Police Chief
8 October 2018 - Staff Major General Saad Bin Jassim Al Khulaifi, Qatar’s Chief of Police, met with Secretary General Jürgen Stock and other senior officials during a visit to the General Secretariat headquarters.
Discussions covered a range of issues including the Qatar-funded Project Stadia. Launched in 2012, the project aims to create a Centre of Excellence to help INTERPOL member countries plan and execute policing and security preparations for major sporting events.
Iceland Police Commissioner
28 September 2018 - Haraldur Johannessen, Iceland’s National Police Commissioner met with Secretary General Jürgen Stock and other senior officials during a visit to the General Secretariat headquarters.
Commissioner Johannessen was leading a staff study visit to INTERPOL, where participants were briefed on a range of INTERPOL’s global policing capabilities and activities including combating terrorism, financial crime and child sexual exploitation.
The Icelandic Police Commissioner also visited INTERPOL’s Command and Coordination centre which provides round-the-clock support to the Organization’s 192 member countries.
IACP President
16 July 2018 – Lou Dekmar, President of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) met with INTERPOL Secretary General Jürgen Stock and other senior officials during a visit to the Organization’s General Secretariat headquarters in Lyon, France.
Mr Dekmar was briefed on the range of INTERPOL’s global policing capabilities and activities in the areas of terrorism and organized and emerging crime, and visited INTERPOL’s Command and Coordination Centre.
First Vice President Paul Cell and Executive Director Vincent Talucci accompanied the IACP President.
Italy's National Prosecutor
20 June 2018 - Italy’s National Anti-mafia and Counter-terrorism Prosecutor, Federico Cafiero de Raho met with INTERPOL Secretary General Jürgen Stock and other senior officials for discussions on fugitives and organized crime investigations, as well as cooperation in combating terrorism.