SINGAPORE – Police leaders and experts from across Asia and beyond are gathering at the INTERPOL Global Complex for Innovation (IGCI) in Singapore to address the region’s most pressing security challenges.
The two-day meeting (18 and 19 September) brings together some 165 participants from 49 countries to discuss subjects including cybercrime, fugitive tracking, human exploitation in the digital age and wildlife crime.
Targeting the region’s booming trade in synthetic drugs, delegates will also be briefed on the recent Operation Lionfish-Mayag, which resulted in record-breaking seizures valued at USD 6.5 billion, including:
- 76 tonnes of illicit drugs, including 51 tonnes of methamphetamine
- 297 million methamphetamine pills (known as ‘yaba’)
- Significant quantities of heroin and cocaine
- Enough fentanyl to cause an estimated 151 million deaths
Regional and global impact
With Asian countries making up more than a quarter of INTERPOL’s membership, the region is central to global security.
INTERPOL Secretary General Valdecy Urquiza said:
“The threats we face today demand a faster, smarter and more united response.
“At the same time, the expertise, challenges and needs of police across the region are many and varied.
“Gathering police leaders from across Asia, and beyond, is an opportunity to identify ways to build resilience and develop a common strategy to benefit the region in our shared mission to make the world a safer place.”
Deputy Commissioner of the Singapore Police Force How Kwang Hwee said:
“Singapore welcomes, supports and celebrates multilateral efforts which synergise and value-add to our collective endeavour against transnational crimes and terrorism.
“As such, the role of INTERPOL is more critical than ever and the IGCI is well placed to contribute as one of the enabling components of an overarching strategy to address the most pressing and complex crime threats of our time.”
Over the two-day meeting, chaired by INTERPOL’s Executive Committee Delegate for Asia, Ali Mohammed Al-Ali, event participants will also explore how to harness data, digital forensics, and advanced policing tools to detect crime earlier and disrupt it more effectively.
About the IGCI
2025 marks the 10th anniversary of the IGCI which acts as a hub for innovation, training, research and collaboration for global law enforcement to collaborate more effectively against emerging crime threats.
The IGCI recently hosted the Asian regional workshop on the Silver Notice, the Organization’s newest colour-coded notice.
Launched as a pilot earlier this year, the Silver Notice allows countries to request information on criminal assets linked to suspects or offenders, ranging from properties and vehicles to bank accounts and businesses, paving the way for the confiscation or recovery of assets, subject to national laws.