UK's Interpol candidate visits India to strengthen international crime fighting

The Executive Director of Policing Services at INTERPOL, Stephen Kavanagh, is a British police officer who arrived in the nation’s capital on Monday for high-level talks and to talk with the government about the future of international crime-fighting.

After visiting India Gate, Kavanagh had one-on-one talks with high-ranking officials from the Indian government, including Praveen Sood, the Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

They discussed how to address law enforcement issues and improve international cooperation at the CBI headquarters.
Director Sood of the CBI and Kavanagh discussed the necessity for more international collaboration in the fight against terrorism, drug trafficking, and technology-enabled crime, including the responsible use of artificial intelligence.

On his visit to India, Stephen Kavanagh said, “India is a critical partner for INTERPOL, whose agencies have been at the forefront in tackling multi-dimensional criminal activities at the global level.

The British police officer also emphasized that, should he be elected to the position of Secretary General of INTERPOL, he would collaborate with other members to promote a rise in data and analysis, leading to operational triumphs in the fight against drugs, cybercrimes, and crimes against the environment and wildlife.

He additionally expressed his belief that INTERPOL has been “underpinned by principles that I believe in strongly; impact through the delivery of tangible operational outcomes, innovation to outsmart criminality, working inclusively and openly for all our member countries, and serving always with integrity, humility, and professionalism.”

In addition, Christina Scott, the UK’s Acting High Commissioner to India, Robert Holness from the UK National Crime Agency, and Sorrel Evans from the UK Home Office are among the delegations accompanying Stephen Kavanagh on their tour to India.

The visit is a major step in the direction of deepening India-UK collaboration on the fight against transnational crime. Strengthening bilateral connections and cooperating closely to successfully address shared security challenges—such as the necessity of accelerating mutual legal assistance and giving extradition requests pertaining to fugitives top priority—were underlined.