The Director General of National Security and Territorial Surveillance, Abdellatif Hammouchi, participated on September 3-4 in the 8th INTERPOL meeting of police chiefs from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, held at the headquarters of the International Criminal Police Organization (ICPO) in Lyon.
Hammouchi led the Moroccan delegation at this significant security gathering, which brought together security and police officials from the MENA region, as well as from Comoros, Djibouti, Somalia, Sudan, and Mauritania, according to a statement from the General Directorate of National Security (DGSN).
The meeting provided an opportunity for Morocco’s national security services to showcase their expertise in combating emerging forms of crime at a regional level and to address rising security challenges, such as organized crime, financial flows from cybercrime, online recruitment and radicalization, cryptocurrency financing, drone-related terrorist threats, and other atypical risks.
The Moroccan delegation delivered a comprehensive presentation on sharing experiences and information related to combating cybercrime and its emerging forms, especially in light of the growing threats posed by the misuse of new technologies for criminal or terrorist purposes.
INTERPOL also presented various solutions, IT applications, and databases, highlighting how the ICPO is addressing new threats and risks through the development of INTERPOL’s biometric platform, criminal threat assessments, and its intelligence and analysis network. They also discussed the support and training mechanisms INTERPOL provides to member countries in combating transnational crime.
On the sidelines of the meeting, Hammouchi held talks with Neal Jetton, the new director of INTERPOL’s Cybercrime Directorate, where they discussed potential projects and cooperation prospects between Morocco and INTERPOL in neutralizing and addressing technology-related criminal and terrorist threats.
Hammouchi also visited INTERPOL’s Command and Coordination Center at its General Secretariat, where he discussed ways to enhance cooperation in cross-border investigations and international prosecutions.
During the event, the Moroccan delegation engaged in bilateral and multilateral discussions with INTERPOL officials and MENA region security and police services on coordinating efforts to address security challenges through a collective approach capable of monitoring the regional and international ramifications of organized crime and terrorism, the statement concluded.
