Abuja - The International Criminal Police Organization, INTERPOL, has reached out to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for a collaborative effort in tackling organized criminal groups within the West-African sub-region. This request was made during a visit by an INTERPOL delegation led by Pascal Progin, the coordinator of the criminal networks sub-directorate of its organized crime unit, to the Corporate Headquarters of the EFCC in Jabi, Abuja.
Progin specifically highlighted the need for EFCC's expertise, experience, and network to make significant progress in breaking the stronghold of what he termed "Nigerian organized crime groups". He emphasized that organized crime encompasses various illegal activities conducted by criminal organizations or syndicates based in Nigeria or Nigerian criminal networks operating domestically or internationally. These activities include cybercrime, human trafficking, drug trafficking, extortion, kidnapping, oil theft, and illegal arms trading.
He further stressed that these criminal activities exploit vulnerable individuals and cause significant harm to victims and society at large. Therefore, collaboration with law enforcement agencies around the world, particularly the EFCC, is crucial to eradicate this menace.
In response, the Acting Chairman of the EFCC, Abdulkarim Chukkol, represented by Ibrahim Liman, the Head of Operations, expressed the commission's readiness to collaborate in any form to combat crimes and criminality. Chukkol acknowledged the borderless nature of contemporary crimes, stating that criminals may operate in one location while committing offenses in other countries. He emphasized the importance of collaboration among law enforcement agencies to effectively tackle all forms of criminality.
Discussions were held between EFCC officers and Progin's delegation on technical issues. Progin concluded by highlighting that the initiative aims to support the identification of members of African organized crime groups within Africa and abroad. The goal is to connect these individuals to their respective criminal groups through enhanced information exchange and the development of tailored operational activities.
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