INTERPOL recently conducted Operation Red Lotus, which seeks to build closer collaboration between immigration and police agencies by utilizing INTERPOL’s global policing capabilities to carry out enhanced passenger screenings.
Approximately 3.5 million passenger checks were conducted during the operation, leading to more than 70 identified threats following “hits” from INTERPOL’s Stolen and Lost Travel Documents database. In one instance, Thai authorities arrested a Chinese citizen traveling with forged documents from Malaysia. In another incident, authorities apprehended two internationally wanted suspects in connection with drug and fraud charges.
The operation itself is part of a three-year initiative funded by the European Union (EU) and implemented by INTERPOL in select Southeast Asian nations.
Officials at the Jakarta International Airport recently outlined the role of training in helping to improve border security, with more than 150 officers trained by INTERPOL and National Central Bureau officials prior to the operation beginning.
“Operation Red Lotus demonstrates the value of extending INTERPOL’s global policing capabilities to law enforcement officers on the frontlines so as to thwart the movement of potentially dangerous individuals, including terrorists,” Michael O’Connell, director of operational support analysis at INTERPOL, said. “It underlines how internal and international security depends on strong measures at border points to protect our communities from harm.”