Interpol trains police in cross-border crime intelligence

Feb 06, 2018

Transnational organised crime, Kayihura noted, is an increasing threat and that Uganda and African countries do not have sufficient capacities to detect and combat it.

PIC:Inspector General of Police Kale Kayihura (centre) in a group photo with trainers and trainees during the InterPol  training at the Imperial Golf View Hotel Entebbe on February 5, 2018. (Tony Rujuta)

TRAINING | CRIME INTELLIGENCE                           

KAMPALA - A team from Interpol is in the country to sharpen the intelligence and investigative capacities of Ugandan Police officers and their colleagues from South Sudan and Eritrea in detecting and combating escalating cross-border crime.

The training for investigation and intelligence police officers from Africa is being funded by the European Union.

The union has provided EUR 14.5m to Interpol to deliver the training being undertaken in four African pilot countries; Uganda, Malawi, DR Congo and Niger.

The Inspector General of Police, Kale Kayihura and representatives from Interpol and EU on Monday opened the first training under the project; Enhancing Africa's Response to Transnational Organised Crime (ENACT) at Imperial Golf View Hotel, Entebbe.

Inspector General of Police Kale Kayihura (right) chatting with EU representative convenience advisor Christian  Raitz Von Frentz during the InterPol training at the Imperial Golf View Hotel Entebbe on February 5, 2018. (Tony Rujuta)

Transnational organised crime, Kayihura noted, is an increasing threat and that Uganda and African countries do not have sufficient capacities to detect and combat it.

"This is an area of deficit. We are battling with violent crime. Look at the gun-related murders. The guns come from across the borders," Kayihura stated.

He cited a recent criminal incident of transnational nature involving a lady who was reportedly arrested as she crossed into Uganda from South Sudan with guns.

New Vision in December published an expose about guns being smuggled into the country from DR Congo and South Sudan. 

Left- right: Deputy director Interpol Oyo Nyeko, human resource and training personnel Felix Ndyomugyenyi and deputy director counter-terrorism Geoffrey Chombe attending the InterPol  training at the Imperial Golf View Hotel Entebbe on February 5, 2018. (Tony Rujuta)

"Building our capacity in crime intelligence is important for us to detect and combat crime.  It is actually key in crime prevention," Kayihura said.

During the next five days, the training will be centred on criminal investigation analysis.

The IGP, however, requested Interpol to generate a team of trainers of trainees who would train other Police officers.

Dr Christian Raitz Von Frentz, the EU governance advisor, said organised transnational crime is on the rise globally and that, it is a threat to peace, good governance and development.

In 2011, the World Bank reported that Africa lost an estimated $3.3b to organised transnational crime.


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