Harnessing AI, Interpol seizing opportunities to hasten investigations

- Türkiye has strategically, geographically important role to play fighting terrorism, says Stephen Kavanagh, hailing country's cooperation to arrest 6 Daesh wanted members

ANKARA

AI and machine learning have helped Interpol streamline complex investigations that would otherwise take human investigators months or years, according to the UK's candidate to lead the international crime-fighting body as secretary general.

Stephen Kavanagh told Anadolu in an interview that with the help of AI, they have gone through hundreds of telephone numbers and data to connect dots at a far greater speed than even the best team of investigators.

"Preventative policing models also allow us to get ahead of the criminals and potential victims by identifying high crime risk areas and manage offenders more effectively. Using AI, we can also model which dark web websites used by sex offenders and terrorists are being accessed and when," he said.

Kavanagh said that Interpol had coordinated an operation involving over 30 countries against hackers who had compromised business email addresses, carried out investment fraud, and run illegal gambling rings with the help of AI.

"The key to the success of this operation was Interpol's unique ability to connect data with a new suite of data-ingesting tools which, using machine learning, generated useful, actionable intelligence for member countries to pursue those criminals. At the end of the operation, we had shut down over 82,000 suspicious bank accounts, and across 30 countries, we helped seize nearly $200 million in hard currency, and over $100 million in virtual currency," he said.

6 Daesh terrorists arrested in Türkiye

"Türkiye has a strategically and geographically important role to play in the fight against terrorism. I was really pleased to see Türkiye's recent outstanding cooperation with Interpol through their arrest of six suspected members of Daesh, who were wanted by countries through the Interpol Red Notice system," he said.

He also noted that Interpol HQ and Turkish law enforcement have led to the arrest of over 60 suspected criminals wanted for crimes in 18 different countries. "Interpol helps to keep Türkiye safe and, in turn, Türkiye helps to keep the world safe," he added.

"For example, fingerprint data shared through Interpol was recently used to stop a suspected terrorist from traveling across borders. We were able to do this because we matched this man's fingerprints to those found on an improvised explosive device. Türkiye is a key partner in project WATCHMAKER which enabled this operation," he said.

He also mentioned that last year, Türkiye was one of the most prominent regions targeted for industrial cyber-crime, stating that much of the world inhabits this space with very few security measures.

"Cyberthreats cost countries an average of 10% of their GDP. This is a huge and devastating loss for communities and businesses. But it also should matter to all of us. Banks, government agencies, and telecoms teams don't just hold data, they hold data from individuals, companies, and governments from across the world," he added.

Leadership in years ahead

On his candidacy to lead Interpol and his priorities, Kavanagh said 196 member countries require and deserve an apolitical body that strictly focuses on their needs. This body should support and unite cross-border law enforcement capabilities to benefit citizens whose lives and livelihoods are destroyed by highly mobile and technology-enabled criminal networks.

"Based on my experience, I know that Interpol is at a crossroads. Major crime is becoming increasingly borderless and sophisticated, and international cooperation is being undermined by a perfect storm of rising conflict and polarized geopolitics.

"Human and other forms of trafficking, cyber-enabled terrorism and financial crime, and environmental theft and degradation, are among the existing challenges that Interpol can and must do more to detect, close down, and help deliver justice for," he said.

Kavanagh emphasized that Interpol should also strive to anticipate emerging and future criminal threats through closer mutual cooperation and elevated technical support services for member countries.

"In the years ahead, Interpol requires leadership based on a proven track record in policing and global law enforcement, a determination to make Interpol work more effectively for all its members, and a relentless focus on assisting member countries to bring criminals to justice," he noted.