Hungary is committed to maintaining and extending international police cooperation – emphasized Minister of Interior Sándor Pintér at the opening ceremony of the 42nd Interpol Regional Conference in Budapest. He added that cross-border organised crime is gaining increasing significance due to the rising number of terrorist attacks and serious crimes.
The Minister emphasised that the European Union has gradually dismantled its inner borders and strengthened and expanded the outer borders. This vast geographical area provides plenty of advantages for member states and EU citizens, but at the same time the free flow of goods, services, capital and people is also appealing to illegal migrants, smugglers and other criminals. These people do not want to use the “four freedoms” of the European Union but to abuse them – added Minister Pintér.
According to the Minister of Interior, to fight international organized crime it is not enough to make strategic decisions; the commitment of the member states and the consistent actions and preparedness of their police forces are also of utmost importance.
Minister Pintér spoke of the wave of illegal migrants following the “Arab spring” and recent events in Syria, and their effect on organized crime. He also pointed out that these issues cannot be handled locally, but there is also a need for a strong cooperation between transit destinations and countries of origin.
Mireille Ballestrazzi, the President of Interpol, emphasized that the police forces of the 21st century must be able to respond to modern challenges and threats. She mentioned that cyber-criminals are anonymous and know no borders. She also added that electronic money transfer and documentation can also lead to cyber-crimes, since they cannot be properly tracked.
According to Mrs Ballestrazzi, answering these challenges and establishing a European strategy for the upcoming years are of utmost importance.
She also added that Hungary was among the first countries to joint Interpol, which was established in 1923. During the past 15 years, Interpol has gone through immense development, and now has more than 190 members. Mrs Ballestrazzi explained that strengthening outer relations and involving the private sector are also of great importance.
(Ministry of Interior)
