Global police agency Interpol says as part of the security arrangements for the 2010 Fifa World Cup , all visitors will have their travel documents automatically checked against Interpol's 'stolen and lost travel documents' (SLTD) database. This will immediately alert border control guards if an individual is attempting to enter the country using a fraudulent document.
According to Interpol secretary-general Ronald Noble, this technical solution, called Find - fixed Interpol network database - installed in SA since 2007, provides frontline officers with direct access to the nearly 20 million travel documents reported stolen or lost to Interpol by 147 member countries.
“Among the range of on-site technical and operational services being provided by Interpol is the deployment of an 'Interpol major events support team' (Imest) to SA, which will be able to carry out instant checks of individuals and suspicious motor vehicles against Interpol's global databases.
“The planning and preparation by the South African Police Service (SAPS) for the 2010 Fifa World Cup has been exhaustive,” he adds.
Interpol's global tools will play an important role in supporting the security arrangements across SA, not only during this important sporting event, but for many years to come, Noble points out.
During his visit to the Interpol General Secretariat headquarters, national commissioner of the SAPS, Bheki Cele, reinforced SA's commitment to the safety and security of visitors and players during the World Cup through co-operation with Interpol.
“With hundreds of thousands of people coming to SA from around the world, it is only logical that we work closely with Interpol, the world's largest police organisation, to ensure that all involved in the world's biggest sporting event enjoy themselves to the fullest, safe in the knowledge that their security is our main priority.”
LOC approval
Late last week, Local Organising Committee CEO Danny Jordaan welcomed the decision by Interpol to mount the biggest ever joint intelligence gathering operation during the World Cup to ensure the tournament concludes without any major security threats.
He assures thousands of football fans coming to SA from around the world that the tournament will be safe. He says more than 30 000 police officers are being recruited and trained specifically for strategic deployment during the tournament.
The South African government will spend R640 million on deploying 41 000 SAPS officers across the country during the tournament, including 31 000 permanent officers and 10 000 police reservists. As a further measure, special courts will be set up to deal with cases involving foreign visitors - and these will be open 24 hours a day.
The SAPS says it has already established access to Interpol databases at 66 000 terminals countrywide, and will also be able to link directly to their command systems. The department says it is establishing various mobile access systems in its vehicles, and will distribute some of these access systems to foot patrols and the like.
Noble notes that Interpol's hi-tech collaboration with the SAPS was the biggest operation of its kind in the organisation's history. The benefit of the integrated operation to SAPS is easy access to Interpol systems, he adds.
Interpol has provided assistance for a range of major events across the globe, including the Beijing Olympics, the 2006 Fifa World Cup in Germany, the 2008 UEFA European Football Championship, and the 2007 Cricket World Cup hosted by nine countries in the Caribbean.
Noble said all Interpol member states had pledged to support SA in hosting a safe and secure World Cup.
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