Police Minister and SAPS Officials Strengthen International Cooperation at INTERPOL General Assembly

In a statement, SAPS noted that the event underscored the importance of a united front in addressing global security threats.

South Africa's Police Minister Senzo Mchunu and senior South African Police Service (SAPS) officials recently attended the 91st INTERPOL General Assembly held in Glasgow, Scotland. The high-level South African delegation included key figures such as the Head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigations (Hawks), Lieutenant General Godfrey Lebeya; Deputy National Commissioner for Policing, Lieutenant General Tebello Mosikili; Divisional Commissioner for Detective and Forensic Services, Lieutenant General Hilda Khosi Senthumule; Minister’s Special Advisor Advocate Vusi Pikoli; and Head of Interpol NCB Pretoria, Brigadier Ntime Mokhine.

The general assembly brought together police chiefs and senior officials from across the globe to bolster international cooperation in combating major transnational crimes, including cybercrime, human trafficking, drug trafficking, and counterfeit goods. In a statement, SAPS noted that the event underscored the importance of a united front in addressing global security threats.

The South African delegation engaged in several strategic bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the assembly, exploring ways to enhance cooperation in critical crime-fighting areas with counterparts from various countries. According to SAPS, these discussions focused on real-time intelligence sharing, as well as strengthening strategies against narcotics trafficking, organized crime networks, and cybercrime.

Minister Mchunu met with Brazilian Justice and Public Security Minister Enrique Ricardo Lewandowski and Vice Minister Datony Xu to discuss initiatives to disrupt criminal networks. The two countries agreed to ramp up intelligence-sharing mechanisms to dismantle international crime syndicates, as well as to conduct joint training initiatives in cybersecurity, digital forensics, and cyber intelligence to better equip their respective law enforcement agencies.

“This collaboration will enhance our capacity to track and dismantle criminal networks across borders and improve our operational capacity in areas such as cybercrime, which requires specialized skills,” SAPS stated. The agreement will also include developing a framework for ongoing exchanges and mutual support in the fight against transnational crime, with a core focus on enhancing cybercrime capabilities.

The assembly further provided an opportunity for South African officials to connect with INTERPOL member states and strengthen partnerships essential to South Africa’s safety and security priorities. The SAPS delegation reiterated South Africa’s commitment to being an active partner in global crime-fighting efforts, leveraging both international collaborations and advanced training to enhance local law enforcement capabilities.