Southern Africa Regional Police Chiefs Cooperation Organisation (SARPCCO) Chairperson, Lieutenant General Joseph Shikongo is impressed with the recommendations put forward during the SADC Multi-Stakeholder Regional Conference on Transnational Organised Crime.
Among the strategies and recommendations resolved is the enhancement of inter-agency cooperation at national and government levels and effective implementation of regional and international strategic instruments to combat transnational organised crime.
Shikongo at the closing ceremony of the conference at Swakopmund on Wednesday said the region cannot afford to continue playing second to criminal syndicates; hence, the collective goal to decimate these criminal enterprises and syndicates perpetuating illicit activities in southern Africa.
“This conference has laid the foundation of how crimes such as financial crimes, corruption, trafficking in illicit drugs, infrastructure crimes, trafficking in persons, smuggling of migrants, trafficking of illicit small arms and light weapons as well as explosives, are negatively impacting the region. It is significant that you were able to identify challenges confronting law enforcement agencies as well as the steps necessary for the region to effectively combat these serious crimes,” he expressed.
The chairperson called on the region to strengthen the high level of cooperation exhibited throughout the multi-stakeholder conference while at the same time enhancing information sharing and undertaking joint operations.
“Let us not forget that we are operating in a modern terrain where criminal syndicates just like law enforcement agencies, are equally exploiting and harnessing contemporary tools including artificial intelligence to broaden their illicit activities,” Shikongo urged.
Erongo Governor Neville Andre Itope concurred with Shikongo’s sentiments, saying globalisation, digitisation and other advances in technology are further changing the nature of illicit markets and the modus operandi of transnational organised crime, recently including the emerging use of cryptocurrencies that make illicit financial flows harder to trace.
The first-ever three-day conference was attended by Chiefs of Police from SADC countries and different law enforcement agencies including anti-corruption and immigration amongst others, to enhance regional frameworks and efforts to prevent and combat transnational organised crimes.
Source: The Namibian Press Agency