Cooperation, both locally and cross-border is one of the Rwanda National Police (RNP) priority policing areas to respond to the ever evolving transnational and organized crimes.
In an Interview, the Deputy Commissioner for Interpol and Cooperation in RNP, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Peter Karake, “police cooperation is yielding good results in crime detection and prevention” especially through the use INTERPOL Police information system.
RNP extended the INTERPOL Police information system best known as I-247, to all 13 border posts, and ACP Karake said the instant communication tool connecting all the 190 member countries has been effective in responding to cross-border crimes.
“In the last three years, for example, we have successfully intercepted 12 vehicles stolen from countries like Japan, Uganda, Kenya, UK and Belgium, seized 24kgs of cocaine worth US$720, 000 and nine hard drug traffickers, rescued six victims of human trafficking and recovered money valued at over Rwf32 million stolen abroad and brought in Rwanda” said ACP Karake.
“Through this cooperation, genocide suspects hiding in other countries were also arrested and repatriated, illicit goods including food, counterfeit pharmaceutical and cannabis worth 40,000$USD were seized through joint operations,” he added.
He further explained that through regional bilateral partnerships, RNP has sent its police liaison officers and to Kenya, Uganda and Burundi, which facilitates joint investigations and sharing of criminal information.
The three neighbouring police institutions are among signed cooperation agreement with RNP to jointly fight cross-border crimes, conduct joint training and share expertise.
“RNP has also particularly benefited in capacity building through exchange of best practices, training where officers acquire specific skills in investigating emerging modern crimes like cybercrime, human and drugs trafficking, counterfeit pharmaceuticals, sell of illicit goods and counter terrorism among others.”
In the same context, eight other Police officers have been seconded to work in INTERPOL.
“Through police cooperation Rwanda was entrusted to hosting different international and regional police meetings where global and regional decision are taken which also promotes tourism in our country,” said ACP Karake.
Among the international meetings include the 84th INTERPOL General Assembly, the Kigali International Conference Declaration to end violence on women and girls, and the African regional conference on cybercrime and the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), among others.
“We have signed cooperation agreements with several countries focusing on sharing of criminal information, joint investigation, deployment of police attaché and liaison officers to facilitate police operations in areas of exchange of fugitives and criminal suspects, sharing expertise and experience, capacity building for police officers especially joint training, command post and field training exercises