Interpol

Criminality has become a global phenomenon in the modern computer age. The tremendous growth in the means of transport and inter-communications has brought in its wake new problems of criminality. Now-a-days escape by air or sea is a common feature resorted to by criminals who operate on an international plane. The dangers of international crime have to be faced squarely by all the nations.

Therefore, every individual country has its own international agency to tackle the problems of international crime. This agency is familiarly known as ‘INTERPOL’ (International Criminal Police Organisation) which concerns itself mainly with the establishment of direct contact with the police forces outside the ordinary channels of diplomacy. The affected country makes a triple request to INTERPOL to seek, hold and deliver the criminals.

INTERPOL has assumed great importance in recent years due to rising incidence of trafficking in drugs, gold, precious stones, forgeries of traveller’s cheque, documents, passports and counterfeiting of currency notes. The assistance of INTERPOL is invariably sought in making arrest of criminals involved in hijacking of aeroplanes.

The activities of INTERPOL also include searching and chasing of international criminals; circulation of information regarding international crimes and criminal gangs received from member police forces, assisting in arrest of international criminals and making arrangements for keeping them under surveillance, pending their extradition.

The purpose of INTERPOL (International Criminal Police Organisation) is (1) “to ensure and promote the widest possible assistance between all criminal police authorities within the limits of the laws existing in different countries and in the spirit of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights”; and (2) “to establish and develop all institutions likely to contribute effectively to the prevention and suppression of ordinary crimes.”

In short, the INTERPOL enables the police forces in different countries to co-ordinate their work effectively in the areas of law enforcement and crime prevention. It refrains from indulging in any activity relating to cases which have a political, military, religious or racial character.