Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Samoa becomes 188th member of Interpol

Posted at 19:11 on 25 October, 2009 UTC

An office of the Samoa National Central Bureau or Interpol desk has opened in Apia making Samoa the 188th country to join the biggest international police organisation.

The secretary general of Interpol, Ronald K Noble, who took part in the opening ceremony over the week-end has praised Samoa’ s decision to join as it had a great deal to offer the wider global policing community.

Mr Noble said the commitment by Samoa to international policing was highlighted recently during an Interpol led operation targeting five hundred cases during which a rape fugitive wanted by New Zealand was located and identified in Samoa.

A senior police officer from the local Ministry of Police and Prisons has been assigned to join the local Interpol desk for a start.