INTERPOL Asian Conference Tackles Crime

Singapore: Police leaders and security experts from 49 countries have convened at the INTERPOL Global Complex for Innovation (IGCI) in Singapore (18–19 September) to address the region’s most urgent security challenges.

With 165 participants, the two-day conference focuses on combating cybercrime, fugitive tracking, human exploitation in the digital age, and wildlife crime, while also targeting Asia’s growing synthetic drug trade.

Delegates were briefed on Operation Lionfish-Mayag, a record-breaking enforcement action that seized illicit drugs worth USD 6.5 billion, including:

* 76 tonnes of drugs (51 tonnes methamphetamine)

* 297 million meth pills (yaba)

* Significant heroin and cocaine

* Enough fentanyl to cause 151 million deaths

Global Significance

INTERPOL Secretary General Valdecy Urquiza emphasized the need for “a faster, smarter, and more united response” to evolving threats, highlighting Asia’s central role in global security.

Singapore Police Deputy Commissioner How Kwang Hwee reaffirmed the importance of multilateral cooperation, praising INTERPOL’s role in tackling transnational crime and terrorism.

Chaired by Ali Mohammed Al-Ali, INTERPOL’s Executive Committee Delegate for Asia, the sessions also explored harnessing data, digital forensics, and advanced policing tools to detect and disrupt crime more effectively.

About IGCI

Marking its 10th anniversary in 2025, the IGCI continues to serve as a hub for innovation, training, and global law enforcement collaboration. It recently piloted INTERPOL’s Silver Notice, enabling countries to track and recover criminal assets ranging from properties and vehicles to bank accounts.