DARK WEB IS NEXT FRONTIER IN FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISTS AND DRUG DEALERS
▶ UAE has set an example in innovative policing, Interpol secretary general says at organisation’s assembly in Dubai
Terrorist attacks and drug deals organised on the “dark net” are creating a dangerous new dimension of crime, the secretary general of Interpol says.
Police need to embrace technology and innovation to stay a step ahead of cyber criminals, Juergen Stock said on the first day of the 67th Interpol General Assembly in Dubai.
“With the dark net and underground economy you can simply click a button to buy drugs,” Mr Stock said. “You can also buy hacking tools or organise a terrorist group through the internet, which is a new dimension of crime.
“Modern policing needs to be innovative to fight this and the UAE is the perfect example of this because it has already invested heavily in smart policing.”
As well as tackling global threats head on, the organisation has also faced internal challenges in recent weeks.
A new president for Interpol will be elected at the general assembly after previous incumbent Meng Hongwei resigned from his post weeks after vanishing after a plane journey from France to China.
It later emerged he had been arrested by Chinese authorities over corruption allegations.
Mr Stock did not speculate on the circumstances surrounding Mr Meng’s exit from the organisation, saying the global police agency had to press forward and appoint a new president.
“On October 7, we received the resignation of our former president,” he said. “On the same day, we received information from the Chinese Ministry of Public Security that our former president was not a delegate for Interpol any more.
“We had to take the measures to ensure the functioning of the organisation and we will not just be electing executive committee members at this year’s general assembly.”
Almost 1,000 delegates from 171 countries are expected to take part in the four-day event, which ends on Wednesday and is being held in Dubai for the first time.
“Dubai is the perfect place to talk about how we can strengthen our early warning systems when it comes to preventing cyber crime and terrorist activity,” he said.
“The traditional way in which dealers are trafficking their drugs is ongoing, but the dark net and underground economy are creating new challenges for global law enforcement agencies.
“Society is changing. You just have to look at how the internet is being used in everyday life. This creates unprecedented opportunities for criminals to access private computers.
“There are also opportunities for criminals all over the world to attack our critical infrastructure, such as health systems and water supply, which are controlled by the internet.
“It is a huge challenge, because police agencies are constantly having to invest in capabilities and new expertise.”
Mr Stock said it was crucial that police forces across the region worked together to combat crime.
“The network of police services around the world has been growing over the past number of decades,” he said. “The exchange of information is crucial.
“No country can face these challenges by themselves and the UAE is a perfect example to other nations. Since it joined the organisation in 1973, it has consistently shown its support to Interpol.”