NAIROBI, Kenya- Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja has opened the fifth INTERPOL African Committee Meeting in Nairobi, where delegates are discussing joint responses to terrorism, drug trafficking, illicit arms and illegal mining.
The three-day meeting, being held at the Holiday Inn, brings together police and security officials from across Africa to review regional cooperation and set priorities for tackling crimes that cross national borders.
The National Police Service confirmed Kanja’s role at the opening ceremony on Monday, October 26.
Kanja said African countries needed to strengthen intelligence sharing, joint operations and police capacity to keep pace with criminal networks that operate across borders.
He described the committee as a platform for developing collective responses and said countries should take greater ownership of regional security initiatives.
The meeting is also reviewing progress on earlier recommendations and considering how to improve coordination between national police services and INTERPOL.
Its resolutions are expected to guide future regional action and preparations for the 28th African Regional Conference, scheduled to take place in Addis Ababa next year.
INTERPOL operations cited as model
Director of Criminal Investigations Mohamed Amin, who represents Africa on INTERPOL’s Executive Committee, pointed to coordinated operations as evidence of the value of information sharing and joint investigations.
Amin highlighted Operation Serengeti as an example of countries working together against transnational crime.
INTERPOL reported last week that its third Serengeti cybercrime operation involved law enforcement agencies from 21 countries.
The operation resulted in 1,462 arrests, the disruption of 10,909 malicious networks and the recovery of more than US$105 million in illicit funds.
Investigators identified 65,929 people targeted by cybercriminals, with losses linked to the cases estimated at more than US$385 million.
The current meeting is also addressing threats that require cooperation beyond cybercrime.
Amin said terrorism, drug trafficking, illegal arms trade and illegal mining call for a coordinated regional approach to help prevent offences, track suspects across borders and respond to emerging risks.
Kanja said the continent had the capacity to confront these challenges through stronger institutional partnerships and sustained collaboration.
He urged delegates to turn their discussions into practical measures that could improve security for citizens.
Among those attending are INTERPOL Vice President for Africa Mohamed Dkhissi, African Committee Chair Ibrahim Amr and Head of the INTERPOL Regional Bureau for Eastern Africa Africa Apollo.
Senior Kenyan police officials include National Criminal Investigations Academy Commandant Ibrahim Jillo and Head of INTERPOL’s National Central Bureau in Kenya Mueni Mutisya.
The meeting comes as INTERPOL continues to coordinate operations across member countries against organised and cyber-enabled crime. Its discussions in Nairobi are intended to assess previous commitments and shape the next phase of cooperation among African police services.
