New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Europol on Thursday signed a working arrangement establishing cooperative relations between the law enforcement authorities of India and the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol). The signing concluded in a virtual event held on Thursday in the presence of senior CBI and Europol officials. This arrangement promotes direct cooperation between both organisations to build on their respective mandates, and strategies and to explore the potential for synergies, the CBI said.
At the signing event, Praveen Sood, the Director of CBI, praised the collaborative spirit demonstrated by both parties. Sood stated, "This working arrangement is an outcome of years of negotiation between the CBI and Europol to reach this common ground. This moment marks a significant milestone in our ongoing efforts to combat crime and enhance cooperation between our agencies.”
He highlighted that “The international dispersal of crimes, criminals and proceeds of crimes have necessitated the need for expeditious international cooperation. Criminal networks operate across borders, exploiting differences in jurisdictions and taking advantage of modern technologies to evade detection. The arrangement we signed today reflects our commitment to address these challenges through enhanced cooperation and mutual assistance."
The Executive Director of Europol, Catherine De Bolle, echoed similar sentiments, emphasising the importance of international cooperation in addressing global security challenges. She said, “In an increasingly globalised world, the security of the European Union starts abroad. Security challenges have become more complex, multidimensional."
"The Working Arrangement which Europol has signed with the CBI underscores the interconnected nature of security threats and the necessity of international cooperation to effectively address them," she added. This working arrangement not only brings together CBI and Europol but also enables wide cooperation between all law enforcement agencies in India and all law enforcement agencies of 27 European countries that Europol represents as well as third countries and organizations associated with Europol, CBI said in a communique.
Pointing out the importance of working arrangement, it further explains that this will enhance cooperation in jointly tackling various forms of crime inter alia including organized crime, financial crimes, frauds, corruption, terrorism, cybercrime, human trafficking, drug trafficking, money laundering, environmental crimes, illicit trafficking in cultural goods, including antiquities and works of art. It establishes clear communication, cooperation, and collaboration mechanisms, ensuring that respective law enforcement agencies can seamlessly collaborate, share best practices, and support each other, CBI stated.
