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INTERPOL For official use only

INTERPOL’s Investigative Support to the Fight against NPS

Daoming ZHANG

INTERPOL General Secretariat

Presented at the SICH Project Final 114th Session of INCB

20 November 2015


Basic Observations


The market for illicit drugs remains the most dynamic and one of the most lucrative among the criminal markets and involves about 30% of identified OCGs

The trafficking routes are continuously diversifying via air, land and sea

Poly-drug trafficking is now a common modus operandi

Synthetics and NPS are produced in complex processes lacking control mechanisms

Low quality products are used as precursors or cutting agents


Pesticides and insecticides are intensively used to maximise cannabis harvest yields

Pursuit to minimise production costs entails serious risks for drug users

Consequences: violence, public health issues, enviromental polution, high number of deaths and perceived insecurity

Drug/precursor trafficking route changes depend on

• Demand, risk, financial gains

• Law enforcement efficiency and capacity

• Trends in licit trade

• Instability and conflicts

• Governance and corruption

• Poverty- socio economic issues …

Factors Effecting Changes on Trafficking Routes

Source: World Economy Forum.


•6

• > 70 of NPS emerge every year, around 600 are available

• Currently constitute relatively small share of illicit drug market

– However lower prices, increased availability and quality are likely to attract more users

– Increasingly for sale online

• The involvement of OC in NPS production is limited; however, low risks and high profits will attract OC to this developing and rapidly expanding market

NPS


INTERPOL’s Responses and Investigative Support


I. Dedicated Teams

Criminal Organizations and Drugs Sub-directorate (drugs, NPS, doping)

Global Health and Safety Sub-Directorate (counterfeit medicines)

Cyber Innovation and Outreach Directorate (cybercrime)


II. Worldwide Networks of Law Enforcement

190 member countries represented by National

Central Bureaus (NCB)

INTERPOL is one of the official channels to exchange

drug samples

Working group networks

International and regional partners

National partners


III. Secure Communications System: I-24/7

All member countries are connected;

Platform for sharing criminal information among LEAs;

Gateway to INTERPOL databases;

Around-the-clock access to crucial data in seconds;

Extension to all law enforcement agencies

FIND, MIND solution to front line LEOs


Stolen Works of Art

Stolen Motor Vehicles Nominals Stolen/Lost Travel Documents

Child Sexual Abuse Images

Fingerprints

DNA

Wanted

IV. Law Enforcement Databases


VI. Analysis


VII. Publications

Alerts Analytical reports


VIII. Incident Response Team (IRT)

Member country requests for assistance from

INTERPOL for a very important seizure

INTERPOL assembles team for quick intervention on

site

Operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week in INTERPOL’s four official languages from Lyon, Buenos Aires and Singapore

Issuing Notices;

Monitoring message traffic and media sources;

Coordinating exchange of information among member countries;

Provides crisis support, deployment of Incident Response Teams (IRT), INTERPOL Major Events Support Teams (IMEST) or Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) teams…

IX. Command and Coordination Centre (CCC)


X. Projects


Project FORTALEZA – Latin America Organized Crime

Establish an international cooperation platform Enhance intelligence exchange, share data, promote operational cooperation between countries and international organizations


Anti-doping Initiative - Agreement with WADA

Exchange of information – Sharing of expertise ( police network ) – (scientific knowledge )


Project Drug.net

Information exchange – operational support

Joint approach with INTERPOL cyber experts


UNODC Project AIRCOP (Airport Communication Project)

Joint Teams

Customs Police

Canada WCO UNODC INTERPOL EU


INCB Project PRISM - Task Force (ATS) INCB Project COHESION - Task Force (cocaine/heroin) INCB Project ION - (NPS) Riscc – EPS/NPS

INCB Projects on Precursor Chemicals & NPS

http://incb.org/incb/index.html

http://incb.org/incb/index.html


XI. Operations

Operations with WCO - WESTERLIES against illicit trafficking in methamphetamine by air passengers; Sky-net against illicit trafficking in drugs or chemical precursors through postmail or express mails

Operation with INCB - Postman against NPS

Operations with Europol


Operation Pangea VIII

(19 May – 16 June 2015)

115 countries

236 agencies

23.5 million units seized


Main Objectives

• Alert patients to the risks of buying medicines and medical devices online

• Identify and close illicit websites

• Suspend payment transactions

• Disrupt criminal activities

– Customs Seizure

– Long-Term Investigations


Multiple Stakeholders • 236 Police, Customs and Drug Regulators

Agencies from 115 countries

• International Organizations – INTERPOL

– World Customs Organization

– EUROPOL

• Permanent Forum on International Pharmaceutical Crime (PFIPC)

• Working Group of Enforcement Officers (WGEO)


Inspections in postal hubs and other facilities •171,304 packages inspected •50,852 packages seized

296 individuals arrested for various offences •Selling medicines without a license •Operating a clandestine laboratory producing counterfeits •Operating websites selling illicit medicines •Illegal sale of medicines

•Supplying unlicensed medicines

23,530,553 million units seized •Estimated value of 75.3 million USD •Seized medicines belong to over 20 different therapeutic categories •Erectile dysfunction (ED) medicines most commonly seized

2,700 websites shut down (domain name or payment facility removed)

• 546 adverts also removed from auction websites and social media platforms

Detailed Results


Detailed results

•1,461 specific investigations launched

•296 suspects arrested/investigated

•198 search warrants issued


Medical Products Seized by Therapeutic Category

Primary Medicines Seized: 1.Erectile Dysfunction

2.Herbal products

3.Hypnotic and sedatives

4.Anorexiants

5.Analgesic/Painkiller

6.Anti-histamines


Region of Seizure of Illicit Medical Products


Country of origin of shipment


• 833 articles published on Pangea VIII

• Audience approximately 1,313 million people

• Estimated value of publicity: USD 12.1 million

Media Coverage


OPERATION LIONFISH II

• Participation of key players in member countries is essential

• Make full use of available national, regional and international databases (INTERPOL, WCO, EUROPOL)

• Operational plan - NOPs - intelligence

• Simple and secure communication system

• Simple forms to reported cases and statistics

• More feeds, more feedbacks

• DEPLOYMENT OF STAFF WITH OPERATIONAL EXPERIENCE

Lessons Learnt


Training must have an operational cut, and normally a training stage is followed by an

operational activity on the ground

XII. Training


CAPACITY BUILDING AND TRAINING

Training

• Use of INTERPOL databases

• Best practices for border security

• Train-the-Trainer sessions

Operation

• Putting training into practice

• Facilitated by INTERPOL staff

Post-Op

• NCBs follow-up

• Local officers trained to conduct their own operations in future

• Sustainability


Future Strive


In a world where national and international boundaries are increasingly irrelevant, the need for cooperation and coordination among law enforcement and our partners has never been greater.

S lution


Factors for Successful Investigations

Real time intelligence sharing

Viewing seizures not as the end ….

Interagency cooperation

Co-operation for MLA requests

Assistance from partners

To focus on :

• Seizure of proceeds

• Dismantling of OCGs


INTERPOL’s NEXTs

INTERPOL tools and services development and promotion

Trainings and operations

Digital security and cybercrime

International partnership development


Thank you!

Daoming ZHANG

ICPO-INTERPOL General Secretariat

Tel: +33 (0) 4 72 44 7236

Email: [email protected]