Fighting crime in a fragmented landscape

The world is facing a complex global security landscape and ever-mounting challenges, but INTERPOL’s initiatives to counter transnational organised crime groups serve as a beacon of multilateral cooperation

Whether it be street violence, sexual exploitation of children, forced labour or the synthetic drug epidemic, transnational organised crime has grown in scale and complexity worldwide, driven by the evolution of criminal activity, increased connections and technological advances. 

In an era of globalisation and increased geopolitical tensions, the geographical footprint of organised crime groups continually changes. Police investigations reveal a fragmented landscape, where criminal entities strategically collaborate with local groups and even individuals, forming agile global networks made of various combinations of complementary criminal partnerships.

Organised crime is also driven by increasingly sophisticated economic and business models that leverage comparative advantage and cost-benefit analyses, and closely track profit margins. Crime-as-a-service has emerged as a lucrative model, with organised groups outsourcing illicit activities such as money laundering to specialised service providers. 

In November 2023, the annual global meeting of law enforcement leaders at INTERPOL’s General Assembly adopted the Vienna Declaration, voicing the concern about the growth, scale and impact of organised crime on communities around the world.

Facing the threat

Tackling organised crime and powerful global crime syndicates requires a strong, global counter coalition. In the face of the unprecedented proliferation of transregional and networked crime, INTERPOL is more determined than ever to face this challenge, by ensuring its global network of law enforcement partners from 196 member countries are better informed, equipped and empowered to detect and disrupt transnational organised crime groups that pose the highest threat to regional and global security. 

Through secure communication channels, centralised databases, as well as operational and investigative assistance, INTERPOL provides essential resources to make communities safer worldwide. Its initiatives to counter the global threat of transnational organised crime groups serve as a beacon of multilateral cooperation – furnishing actionable intelligence to law enforcement agencies across the globe – at a time of widening geopolitical rifts and mounting pressures. 

INTERPOL’s Cooperation Against ’Ndrangheta (Project I-CAN), supported by Italian authorities, represents an exemplary multilateral effort to provide intelligence about the illicit activities and location of fugitives of ’Ndrangheta, which INTERPOL identifies as a high-threat transnational organised crime group.

Aligned objectives

As a key actor within the global and integrated security architecture, INTERPOL’s efforts are well aligned with the objectives and endeavours of strategic multilateral forums, such as the G7. This alignment takes place within the framework of the seven INTERPOL Global Policing Goals, originally adopted by the INTERPOL General Assembly in 2017. Reviewed last year in consultation with all regional policing organisations, the updated goals reiterate the security-development nexus and INTERPOL’s support for the implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. 

Under Italy’s 2024 G7 presidency, INTERPOL continues to represent the voice of the global law enforcement community as it faces a complex global security landscape and ever-mounting challenges such as cybercrime, child sexual exploitation and abuse, synthetic drugs, terrorism and corruption. 

As a global neutral platform, INTERPOL provides technical advice on the requirements for adequate global security policies. Such policies should ultimately promote greater law enforcement cooperation across the globe, improved information and intelligence sharing and analysis, and further investments in stronger and cutting-edge INTERPOL capabilities in tackling organised crime groups.