South African Police Commissioner updated on INTERPOL assistance for 2010 FIFA World Cup

2 de febrero de 2010

LYON, France – National Commissioner of the South African Police Service Bheki Cele was updated on INTERPOL’s ongoing preparations to support national security for the 2010 FIFA World Cup during a visit to the General Secretariat headquarters on Tuesday.

To date, more than two million tickets have been sold, with thousands of people from around the world expected to attend the world’s biggest sporting event which begins on 11 June.

Commissioner Cele met and was briefed by INTERPOL officials on the INTERPOL Major Events Support Team (IMEST), comprising experienced specialised police officers and operational assistants which will be deployed ahead of and during the event.

Law enforcement officers across South Africa already have direct access to INTERPOL’s Stolen and Lost Travel Documents database – containing details of more than 11 million passports - enabling them to instantly check if any visitor entering the country is using a fraudulent document.

Units deployed around the country will also be able to carry out on the spot checks for stolen motor vehicles against INTERPOL’s global database.

In addition, staff in the 24-hour Command and Co-ordination Centre at the General Secretariat headquarters will treat all 2010 FIFA World Cup-related requests and enquiries as a priority.

INTERPOL has provided assistance for a range of major events across the globe, including the Beijing Olympics, the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany and the 2007 Cricket World Cup hosted across nine countries in the Caribbean.