(AGENPARL) – lun 05 dicembre 2022 5 December 2022
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INTERPOL maritime operation nets terrorist suspects
Terrorist suspects and transnational organized crime targeted in Operation Neptune IV
LYON, France
Two terrorist suspects wanted internationally under Red Notices have been arrested during an
international maritime border operation coordinated by INTERPOL.
Another eight investigative leads linked to terrorism were generated during Operation Neptune IV (1 July
3 September) which targeted terrorist suspects and other criminals involved in serious organized crime travelling
via maritime routes between North A
frica and Southern Europe.
The intelligence
led operation was supported by an INTERPOL team on the ground, and also targeted criminal
Officials at seaport
s and airports in eight countries
Algeria, Cyprus, France, Italy, Lebanon, Morocco, Spain
and Tunisia
carried out more than 2.6 million checks across INTERPOL’s databases for stolen and lost travel
documents, nominal data and stolen vehicles via its I
These checks generated 140 hits, resulting in 14 additional arrests following seizures worth USD 3.6 million,
including: 33 kg of cocaine, some 39,400 ecstasy pills, 133 kg of cannabis, and ten stolen cars
. Ten firearms were
also seized.
The operation also targeted illicit migrant flows, with authorities in France, Italy and Spain arresting
suspected human traffickers and people smugglers and intercepting 13 irregular migrants.
With thousands of vehicles
and passengers crossing international borders via maritime routes every year,
border initiatives such as Neptune demonstrate how
concerted law enforcement action can disrupt terrorist threats and cri
minals on the move.
“We know that the threat landscape continues to evolve and so too must law enforcement responses to
terrorism and transnational organized crime,” said Secretary General Stock.
“Cross
border information exchange between law enforcement
agencies and partner agencies is vital to
ensure frontline border officers have access to the right information at the right time.
“Operation Neptune ensures that we are coordinating law enforcement efforts at a national, regional and
global level. It pr
people and serious organized crime activities,” added the Secretary General.
Italian authorities in the port of Genoa also seized some EUR 250,000 in unde
clared cash, which investigators
suspect was part of illicit money flows towards the Middle East and North Africa region as part of terrorist financing.
INTERPOL’s databases currently hold details of more than 87,000 foreign terrorist fighters and some 1.
million pieces of terrorist
related information.
5 December 2022
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The role of international cooperation against crime was further highlighted in the operation with experts
from Europol, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) and the World Customs Organizat
ion also
involved in the initiative.