Online Reporter
Crime Reporter
Police Commissioner General Godwin Matanga has challenged police officers in African countries to collaborate and make effective use of platforms on International Criminal Police Organisations (Interpol) and Southern Africa Regional Police Chiefs Cooperation Organisations to curb criminal activities.
He was speaking at a debriefing meeting of the Africa Cyber Surge Operation 3.0 in Harare.
“Allow me to express my sincere gratitude to Interpol and its partners for coming up with such a coordinated approach against cyber threats in our region and beyond,” he said.
“Here in Africa we are mainly consumers of digital products and generally lag behind the rapidly evolving digital landscape, which in my view creates a window of opportunity for cyber criminals to pounce on us.
“The combination of globalisation and e-commerce has attracted so many people to cyberspace, thereby directly exposing businesses and individuals to the risk of cyber-attacks that can lead to financial losses.
“Human capital development, strategic partnerships and sharing of information is therefore crucial in combating cybercrimes in the region.”
“We need to take advantage of past operations to come up with strategies from challenges that were encountered along the way,” he said.
“I am informed that the guiding objectives of this year’s operation were to support international cooperation in combating cybercrime by assisting member countries in investigating and disrupting cybercrimes, highlighting the regional cyber threats identified in the Interpol 2024 African Cyber Threat Assessment Report, and to enhance participants’ operational readiness in preparation for upcoming cybercrime operations.”
He said the desired outcome by national police services is enhanced capabilities to prevent, detect, investigate, and disrupt cyber-criminal activities.
“Successful prosecutions and dismantling of criminal networks will restore confidence in the use of digital platforms by the public. Criminal enterprises transcend national borders.
“I wish to reiterate the importance of collaborations, intelligence sharing, and effective use of Interpol platforms by law enforcement agencies.
“I also wish to acknowledge the critical role played by the Interpol Cyber Crime Directorate, particularly the Africa Joint Operations Against Cyber Crime (AFJOC), in collaborating with Afripol, especially through the Interpol Support Programme for the African Union (ISPA).
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