INTERPOL HQ

🫆 Strengthening border security in The Gambia

In a coordinated effort, officers from immigration, police, customs, prison authorities and the INTERPOL National Central Bureau were recently deployed to various locations near the capital.

Equipped with mobile devices allowing instant, frontline access to INTERPOL’s databases, officers checked identity documents, fingerprints and vehicles, looking to detect individuals involved in terrorism, drug or human trafficking.

More than 13,000 database queries were conducted during the two week operation, including 748 checks through the Biometric Hub.

74 stolen motor vehicles were identified.

The operation was held under Project Identity, which provides training, capacity building and technical support to Gambian authorities, facilitating wider use of INTERPOL tools to ensure global collaboration.

🚨 An eight-month operation targeting West African organized crime groups has led to 58 arrests and the identification of 263 suspects.

Groups such as the Black Axe pose an escalating global threat, responsible for a significant share of the world’s cyber-enabled financial fraud, including:

🔵 Romance scams
🔵 Cryptocurrency and investment fraud
🔵 Business email compromise

Bringing together 22 countries from six continents, Operation Jackal IV targeted high-value targets, money laundering schemes and illicit assets to support arrests and facilitate prosecution.

🔗 Details: https://www.interpol.int/News-and-Events/News/2026/58-arrests-in-global-effort-to-dismantle-West-African-organized-crime-groups

🚨 INTERPOL has seen a significant increase in the number of identified victims of child sexual exploitation in recent years.

In the first seven months of 2026, nearly 5,800 new victims have been identified through INTERPOL's International Child Sexual Exploitation (ICSE) database.

In 2025, we saw the largest annual increase in identifications since ICSE’s creation in 2011.

This increase reflects global efforts to combat child sexual exploitation, including:

🔵 The creation of dedicated national victim identification units
🔵 Expanded victim identification task forces
🔵 Stronger cross-border coordination

But these efforts tell only part of the story.

The rise in victim identifications is also linked to a growing number of cases involving children who are coerced, manipulated or sextorted into producing self-generated abuse material. These cases often generate large volumes of media per victim, increasing the likelihood of detection.

INTERPOL's Crimes Against Children unit works to:

🔵 Locate and safeguard child victims
🔵 Block access to child sexual abuse material
🔵 Identify offenders

Read more: https://www.interpol.int/en/Crimes/Crimes-against-children/Victim-identification

🇬🇦 INTERPOL was in Gabon to train 38 officers from Immigration, Customs, Gendarmerie and Police to strengthen border management and combat human trafficking and migrant smuggling.

Authorities were then deployed to perform identity and vehicle checks against INTERPOL's databases.

At Libreville Airport, they successfully identified a traveler carrying a document reported as lost.

🇲🇬 Last week in Nosy Be, Madagascar, 20 police officers took part in a mock crime scene exercise, simulating a real-life investigation at sea. This type of exercise is designed to improve effectiveness and develop investigative skills.

Participants trained to collect, preserve and analyze physical, forensic and digital evidence in line with internationally recognized standards.

💊 A human trafficking ring that forced a victim to swallow drugs to smuggle them internationally has been dismantled thanks to the collaboration of authorities in Oman and Zimbabwe.

In June, police in Zimbabwe alerted their international counterparts and INTERPOL about a case involving a victim lured to Oman under the pretense of employment. During a layover, the victim was intercepted by members of a criminal network and forced to swallow drug-filled capsules for the onward journey. Upon arrival, the victim was made to expel the drugs, which were destined for distribution in the region.

A swift investigation in Oman, with support from INTERPOL, led to the arrest of four individuals, the seizure of drugs and the rescue of the victim.

📷 The X-ray image shows dozens of capsules swallowed by one of the drug mules linked to the same trafficking ring.

🚨 INTERPOL report finds AI linked to more than half of cybercrime in Africa

Cyberattacks are becoming faster, more scalable, and increasingly difficult for victims and platforms to detect, according to INTERPOL’s African Cyberthreat Assessment Report 2026.

The report points to a major shift: cybercrime has evolved into an industrialized, borderless ecosystem.

Key findings include:
🔵 55% of cybercrimes reported in Africa are AI-enabled.
🔵 Online scams are the most frequently reported form of cybercrime.
🔵 Financial services, telecoms, and government institutions are the hardest hit.
🔵 Cybercrime-related financial losses have more than doubled since 2024, rising to USD 484 million.
🔵 72% of surveyed countries reported scam centres, with the highest concentration in Southern and West Africa.
🔵 Criminals are bypassing biometric checks by creating AI-generated synthetic identities that combine real personal data with fabricated elements.

🔗 Find out more: https://www.interpol.int/News-and-Events/News/2026/INTERPOL-report-finds-AI-linked-to-more-than-half-of-cybercrime-in-Africa

Have you ever considered a career at INTERPOL?

There are more than 140 nationalities represented across the General Secretariat – approximately two-thirds of our member countries. This diverse workforce is one of our key strengths, enabling us to better address the complex policing challenges faced by our 196 member countries.

To search current vacancies ➡️ 🔗 https://bit.ly/4hdADcg

Terrorism today takes many forms, from long-standing organized groups to emerging, fragmented threats, all increasingly leveraging technology to spread fear and disruption.

Explore how INTERPOL is addressing this evolving challenge in the latest issue of Spotlight.

Read more and sign up: https://us6.campaign-archive.com/?e=%5bUNIQID%5d&u=6226daa39f9a9731e6efca983&id=75f1691ee2