President of the International Criminal Police Organization (known as Interpol) Ahmed Naser Al-Raisi lauded Morocco’s “extraordinary progress” and the “efficiency and professionalism” of its security apparatus on Wednesday in Tangier, which he said makes the Kingdom a “haven of security and stability” and a serious partner in efforts to build a safer and more stable world.
Speaking on the sidelines of the opening ceremony of the 47th Arab Police and Security Leaders Conference, Al-Raisi told the press that Morocco’s hosting of the 93rd Interpol General Assembly and the 47th Arab Police and Security Leaders Conference demonstrates that the Kingdom’s role and support for efforts to combat transcontinental crime are beneficial and “important.”
Al-Raisi said that the world’s security concerns necessitate the development of a joint security plan in which all countries participate that prioritizes cross-border crime.
Noting that training and rigorous use of technology is the key to preventing criminal activities, he suggested that countries must maximize the use of modern technologies in the battle against cross-border crime, citing the fact that many criminal gangs utilize advanced technology.
Speaking at the opening session, Director General of National Police (DGSN) and Territorial Surveillance (DGST) Abdellatif Hammouchi remarked that hosting this large-scale event in Morocco, specifically Tangier, reflects the Kingdom’s commitment to consolidating security in the Arab region and ensuring stability throughout the Arab world. He noted that the meeting comes at a time when several forms of cross-border crime are on the rise in different countries.
Security services have observed an increase in cybercrime indicators and the proliferation of fraud and cyber-extortion cases during the post-Covid phase, Hammouchi said, which poses a serious threat to national economies, national security, and citizens’ personal data. The emergence of numerous complex crimes highlights the need to form a joint security front to combat and eradicate terrorist threats and criminal networks.
The DGST head also reaffirmed Morocco’s commitment to Arab and international cooperation, as well as to improving measures to combat terrorism and all types of organized crime.
Along with Hammouchi, the Secretary General of the Council of Arab Interior Ministers, the President of the Interpol, the President of the Naif Arab University for Security Sciences (NAUSS), and police and security leaders from around twenty Arab countries, as well as six regional and international organizations attended the opening ceremony.
The two-day event brings together senior security officials from several Arab countries, as well as representatives from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Interpol, the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the African Union Mechanism for Police Cooperation (AFRIPOL), and the NAUSS.
Representatives from Morocco, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Tunisia, Djibouti, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Iraq, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Comoros Islands, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Egypt, Mauritania, and Yemen all attended the meeting.