Ottawa, November 21, 2012 – A secure Europol connection has recently been established at the INTERPOL Branch in Ottawa, allowing the RCMP to take one step further in the fight against international crime through the enhanced exchange of intelligence and information. Canada’s partnership with Europol started in November 2005 following a Co-operation agreement between the Government of Canada and the European Police Office that allows for the exchange of intelligence and information.
The INTERPOL Ottawa Branch at the RCMP was designated to facilitate the exchange of information between the Canadian police community and Europol. At the time, communications between Europol and the INTERPOL-Ottawa office were bridged through RCMP Liaison Officers stationed in The Hague, where Europol Headquarters is located.
Today, the secure Europol connection provides real-time communication and direct access to coordinate Europol and Canadian operational policing and non-operational requests, as well as to share and process information and intelligence. For the RCMP this enhancement is key in the context of an evolving complex and sophisticated criminality.
“Crime has no borders. We live in an increasingly global and interconnected world, and we must look beyond our Canadian borders to where threats originate and work even more closely with our international law enforcement partners,” stated Inspector Glenn Martindale, Director of INTERPOL-Ottawa. “Through its rigorous intelligence work, Europol depicts a clear and broad landscape of current criminal trends and this provides us with a very accurate picture as to where we should focus our efforts.”
Europol assists 27 Member States of the European Union in their fight against serious international crime and terrorism. The European law enforcement agency, through its information capabilities and expertise, identifies and tracks the most dangerous criminal terrorist networks in Europe. Its operational services and secure intelligence network are instrumental in 12 000 cross-border investigations each year, which have led to the disruption of several criminal and terrorist networks.
In Canada, more specifically, Europol’s contribution has led to successful investigations related to credit card fraud, synthetic drugs, and outlaw motorcycle gangs.
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For further information:
RCMP National Communications – Media Relations
613 843-5999
