1 May 2022
UN
Secretary-General Calls for Renewed Commitment to Chemical Weapons Convention, Marking Twenty-Fifth Anniversary of Treaty’s Entry into Force
UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message on the twenty-fifth anniversary of the entry into force of the Chemical Weapons Convention.
Deaths at sea on migrant routes to Europe almost double, year on year
More than 3,000 people died or went missing while attempting to cross the Mediterranean and the Atlantic last year, hoping to reach Europe, the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, said on Friday, appealing for $163.5 million to assist and protect thousands of refugees and asylum seekers.
Of the 2021 total, 1,924 people were reported to have died or gone missing on the Central and Western Mediterranean routes, while an additional 1,153 perished or went missing on the Northwest African maritime route to the Canary Islands, according to UNHCR’s newly published report: Protection, saving lives, & solutions for refugees in dangerous Journeys.
Guterres urges youth: Keep pushing, mobilizing, ‘bringing your ideas to the table’
Despite war, COVID-19 and the climate crisis, all of which compound the other challenges facing young people today, the UN chief lauded youth for raising their voices and mobilizing for a better future.
“Young people are…leading the way in the fight against climate change, standing up for racial justice and gender equality...holding leaders to account…[and] are at the forefront of our efforts to secure a more inclusive, peaceful, and prosperous future for all,” Secretary-General António Guterres said on the second of a two-day forum on youth.
Under the theme Youth 2030: Achieving the SDGs, he delivered a recorded video message to the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)’s annual Youth Forum encouraging young people to “keep pushing; to keep mobilizing; and to keep bringing your ideas to the table”.
INTERPOL
Illegal webtoon site shut down as part of joint collaboration
Protecting intellectual property in the digital age
LYON, France - Joint collaboration between INTERPOL, Korean and Moroccan law enforcement resulted in the shutdown of an illegal webtoon site and detention of a suspect. Moroccan authorities facilitated this action, thereby dismantling the criminal enterprise and protecting the rights of copyright holders.
Global cooperation vital to ensuring better protection of intellectual property rights
World IP Day – Protecting innovation and competitiveness
LYON, France – Intellectual property (IP) rights play a vital role in protecting innovation and supporting competitiveness. With adequate IP protection and support, young innovators can mobilize and help advance developments in the fields of business and science to improve health outcomes. In this context, the theme of this year’s World IP Day is ‘IP and Youth: Innovating for a better future’.
Multi-million euro Ponzi scheme suspect arrested following cooperation via INTERPOL
Papua New Guinea arrest highlights unique role of INTERPOL in tackling transnational crimes
A Chinese national wanted in connection with a Ponzi scheme estimated to have defrauded nearly 24,000 victims out of EUR 34 million was arrested in Papua New Guinea following cooperation via INTERPOL.
Europol
Europol report finds deepfake technology could become staple tool for organised crime
Recent advancements in artificial intelligence means deepfake detection and prevention must be top law enforcement priority
The Europol Innovation Lab has today published its first report under its Observatory function, entitled ‘Facing Reality? Law enforcement and the challenge of deepfakes’. The report, which draws its conclusions based on extensive desk research and in-depth consultation with law enforcement experts, provides a detailed overview of the criminal use of deepfake technology, alongside the challenges faced by law enforcement in detecting and preventing the nefarious use of deepfakes.
Spain arrests two for supplying conflict zones with weapons
The two suspects were arrested at their homes in Barcelona and El Masnou on 20 April. Seven other members of the same criminal organisation had already been arrested in November 2020. The analysis of the evidence gathered then during the house searches led to the identification of the suspects arrested in the province of Barcelona this week.
New Europol and EMCDDA Analyses of the European Drug Market
Coming soon: latest analyses of Europe’s cocaine and methamphetamine markets
Violent labour exploitation gang busted in Romania and the UK
The suspects exploited vulnerable Romanian citizens by luring them to the UK with job offers
The Romanian Police (Poliția Română) and the United Kingdom Northamptonshire Police, supported by Europol and Eurojust, have dismantled a criminal network involved in human trafficking, labour exploitation and money laundering.
One of the world’s biggest hacker forums taken down
The illegal marketplace ‘RaidForums’ has been shut down and its infrastructure seized as a result of Operation TOURNIQUET, a complex law enforcement effort coordinated by Europol to support independent investigations of the United States, United Kingdom, Sweden, Portugal, and Romania. The forum’s administrator and two of his accomplices have also been arrested.