The Guyana Police Force’s National Central Bureau (NCB) Office on Wednesday received several pieces of Information Technology (IT) equipment donated by the world’s largest Police organisation, Interpol.
Police Commissioner (ag) Clifton Hicken and Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum with the two Interpol officials
Head of Branch Services Outreach in the Information Systems and Technology Directorate at Interpol, Francisco Alferez Areses and the Regional Product Deployment Officer, Southern Cone, Jonatan Roldan are currently in Guyana.
The officials are visiting to formalise the donation under the Interpol Secretariat’s General Project “Proteger”.
On Wednesday, they met with Commissioner of Police (ag), Clifton Hicken, and Head of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum in the conference room at Police Headquarters, Eve Leary.
During that meeting, the GPF collected 21 complete Dell computer systems; one server; 12 APC backup batteries; 14 web cameras, and 14 scanner-printers.
Commissioner Hicken thanked the Interpol officials for their kind and timely donation and also assured them that the items would greatly assist with connectivity of the Interpol, NCB and the Immigration Section of the Police Force.
The NCB provides a 24-hour permanent service, working with the global Interpol community to help the GPF monitor the wider organised crime landscape and reduce its impact on Guyana.
In September 2021, Interpol signed an agreement with the Government of Barbados for the establishment of a liaison office in the Caribbean Island, thus strengthening Police cooperation and security in the Region. The new Interpol Office in the Caribbean will serve a number of countries in the Region, including Guyana.
According to the Interpol website, Project Proteger is aimed at providing countries with assistance to protect trafficking victims and vulnerable migrants across the Americas.
Last year, between November and December, a special operation in the region spearheaded by Interpol saw more than 200 arrests made and the identification of more than 10,000 irregular migrants from 61 countries.
Interpol had said that a dedicated operational coordination unit in Mexico City, Mexico and a support unit at the Caribbean Community Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (CARICOM IMPACS) Joint Regional Communications Centre (JRCC) supported participating countries throughout the weeklong operation.
Coming out of that operation, the organisation disclosed that it was able to warn Guyanese authorities about the impending arrival of foreign citizens who were making their way to the United States.
“The CARICOM IMPACS JRCC unit received crucial information linking a known smuggler in Brazil to a Pakistani national, enabling them to warn authorities in Guyana about the pending arrival of six other Pakistani nationals looking to make their way to the US,” Interpol said in a statement on the operation, which had several phases.
