Azurin cites PNP’s major role vs global crimes in France summit
PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) chief, General Rodolfo S. Azurin Jr. has underscored the major role being played by the PNP in fighting transnational crimes in Southeast Asia and the rest of the world when he talked with his international counterparts who attended an Interpol summit in Lyon, France over the weekend.
According to the top cop, the PNP has responded strongly to concerns of the global community of police agencies for greater cooperation against crimes that transcend national borders like child exploitation, financial fraud, and drugs.
He made the assessment as head of the seven-man Philippine delegation to the 17th Annual Conference of Heads of National Central Bureaus of the International Criminal Police Organization (ICPO-INTERPOL) in Lyon, France which is being attended by some 300 delegates from 142 INTERPOL-member countries.
The other members of the PNP delegation are PNP Director for Intelligence, Major Gen. Benjamin C. Acorda Jr., PNP Director for Operations, Brigadier Gen. Emmanuel B. Peralta, PNP Director for Plans, Brig. Gen. Bernard M. Banac, PNP Director for Investigation and Detective Management, Maj. Gen. Eliseo DC Cruz and PNP Director for Information and Communication Technology Management, Maj. Gen. Valeriano T. de Leon.
The PNP chief emphasized to summit participants that the Philippines is never far behind in addressing current criminal activity involving transnational syndicates.
He also stated the crucial role of the PNP Women and Children Protection Center in a recent international law enforcement operation in the Philippines, United States, Norway, United Kingdom, Australia, and Germany which he said is a testament to the responsiveness of the country as an active member of a global alliance of police agencies that share common interests in combatting transnational crime involving online sexual exploitation of children.
Gen. Azurin likewise said that the PNP, thru the Anti-Cybercrime Group was also instrumental in breaking the backbone of syndicated criminal activities engaged in online financial fraud from local and offshore boiler room operations.
The aggressive stance of the PNP in support of national policy against drug trafficking and abuse has also successfully severed the supply chain of illegal drugs with the busting of foreign-led drug syndicates operating in the Philippines, Gen. Azurin added.
