Mr. Hammouchi Participates in the Eighth INTERPOL Meeting for Security and Police Chiefs in the MENA Region
During September 3 and 4, Abdellatif Hammouchi, the General Director of National Security and Territorial Surveillance, participated in the eighth INTERPOL meeting for security and police chiefs in the Middle East and North Africa. The meeting was held at the headquarters of the International Criminal Police Organization – INTERPOL in Lyon, France.
A statement from the General Directorate of National Security mentioned that Hammouchi led the Moroccan delegation participating in this important security meeting, which included heads of security and police agencies from the Middle East and North Africa, along with the Comoros, Djibouti, Somalia, Sudan, and Mauritania.
The same source added that the meeting provided a valuable opportunity for the National Security services of the Kingdom to showcase their experience in addressing emerging crimes at the regional level, as well as to discuss the arising security challenges in the area, including combating organized crime, financial flows from cyber piracy, threats of recruitment and rapid online radicalization and funding via cryptocurrencies, and the dangers of drone terrorist attacks and unconventional threats.
The Moroccan delegation also presented a comprehensive report on sharing expertise and information related to combating cybercrime and its evolving forms, especially amidst the escalating threats posed by the misuse of new technologies for criminal or terrorist purposes.
This meeting also featured INTERPOL’s presentation of various information solutions and databases that highlight the International Criminal Police Organization’s responsiveness to new threats and risks, including developing INTERPOL’s biometric platform, assessing international criminal threats, and measuring INTERPOL’s analysis and intelligence network, along with support mechanisms that INTERPOL can provide to member countries in training and combating various forms of transnational crime.
On the sidelines of this meeting, Abdellatif Hammouchi held a bilateral meeting with Mr. Neil J. Walsh, the new Head of the Cybercrime Division at INTERPOL. They discussed projects and prospects for joint cooperation between Morocco and INTERPOL in neutralizing and combating risks associated with the use of technology in criminal and terrorist projects.
Hammouchi also conducted a field visit to familiarize himself with the functions of the “INTERPOL Command and Coordination Center,” located at the organization’s General Secretariat headquarters. There, he consulted with the center officials on mechanisms to strengthen joint cooperation in matters of cross-border investigations and international pursuits of wanted persons.
In the context of the meeting’s proceedings, the statement pointed out that the Moroccan delegation also held discussions, both bilaterally and multilaterally, with INTERPOL officials and security and police agencies in the Middle East and North Africa. These talks focused on coordinating efforts to confront security challenges and risks from a shared and collective perspective capable of keeping pace with the regional and international extensions of organized crime and terrorism.
