INTERPOL Asian Regional Conference Ends with Renewed Commitment to Regional Security

Law enforcement officials representing countries from Asia, the South Pacific, and the Middle East recently concluded the INTERPOL Asian Regional Conference, reaffirming their dedication to improving regional security through advanced collaboration, intelligence exchange, and coordinated operations.

Held over two days from 18 to 19 September, the conference emphasized unified efforts to address critical challenges such as drug trafficking, cybercrime, terrorism, and environmental offenses affecting the region.

Participants endorsed a comprehensive set of initiatives aimed at disrupting organized criminal networks, including:

• Expanding information sharing among units focused on organized crime, cybercrime, counter-terrorism, and financial investigations.
• Strengthening partnerships with INTERPOL’s General Secretariat to enable real-time operational and strategic analysis of criminal activities.
• Amplifying asset freezing and recovery efforts, utilizing mechanisms like the INTERPOL Global Rapid Intervention of Payments (I-GRIP) and pilot programs such as Silver Notice/Silver Diffusion to deprive criminal groups of illicit proceeds.
• Enhancing border cooperation—both physical and digital—to impede the transit of criminals, contraband, and illicit financial flows.

Given the rapid evolution of cyber threats, delegates called for full leverage of INTERPOL’s cyber capabilities to tackle emerging challenges including AI-driven criminal tactics, deepfake exploitation, ransomware attacks, persistent infostealers and banking malware, as well as cloud infrastructure breaches.

Ali Mohammed Al-Ali, INTERPOL’s Executive Committee Delegate for Asia and Chairperson of the conference, highlighted the region’s pivotal role, stating, "This conference has again powerfully demonstrated Asia’s leadership in not only securing the region but also driving global security forward. Together, we are forging a future where international police cooperation remains the bedrock of stability and peace."

The delegates also stressed the importance of strengthening strategic alliances with major regional and international bodies such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Chiefs of Police, the Gulf Cooperation Council Police, and the Pacific Islands Chiefs of Police to ensure a safer environment for all.

INTERPOL, the world’s largest international police organization, comprises 196 member countries committed to fostering global safety and security through collaborative efforts.