IACP annual conference held in Florida from Saturday to Tuesday

The inaugural general assembly of the International Investigative Cooperation Alliance is held at Songdo Convensia in Incheon on Thursday. [Korean National Police Agency]
The inaugural general assembly of the International Investigative Cooperation Alliance is held at Songdo Convensia in Incheon on Thursday. [Korean National Police Agency]

The Korean National Police Agency received an institutional award Tuesday (local time) at the annual conference of the International Association of Chiefs of Police in Florida for its international cooperative operations against transnational scam crimes.

The agency said Wednesday it was recognized in the transnational crime leadership category for mobilizing pan-government capabilities and conducting strong international cooperative operations to eradicate cross-border scam crimes. It added that the award reflected high marks for achieving joint operational results spanning local crackdowns, suspect apprehension and repatriation to Korea.

The International Association of Chiefs of Police annually selects law enforcement agencies from around the world that have demonstrated exemplary policing and made significant contributions to the advancement of international public safety.

Last October, the Korean National Police Agency established the International Investigative Cooperation Alliance, a multilateral body that includes international organizations such as Interpol and Aseanapol, to strike at transnational scam crime networks. Within roughly a year of its launch, the agency-led alliance has grown into a multilateral cooperation framework involving law enforcement agencies from 52 countries.

To combat scam crimes based in Southeast Asia, the agency signed a law enforcement cooperation MOU with Cambodian authorities and set up the Korea-Cambodia Joint Task Force for Koreans there in November last year. Through the task force, 137 fugitives hiding in Cambodia have been repatriated to Korea to date. The agency has also continued to track scam organizations that relocated to other countries such as Kazakhstan as Cambodia tightened its crackdowns, repatriating their members as well.

Kim Dong-kwon, director of the Korean National Police Agency's Bureau of International Police Cooperation, said close cooperation with international organizations and law enforcement agencies in each country is paramount, as transnational crimes occur across borders. He added that the agency would continue to strengthen international cooperation frameworks and do its utmost to protect the lives and property of the public through substantive joint responses, including tracking and apprehending criminals, protecting victims and recovering criminal proceeds.


arin@heraldcorp.com