In a highly visible sign of how Singapore wants to be seen as a zero-tolerance jurisdiction for global criminals such as computer hackers, Interpol, the international police network, now has a prestigious new office in the city-state.

In a highly visible sign of how Singapore wants to be seen as a zero-tolerance jurisdiction for global criminals such as computer hackers, Interpol, the international police network, now has a prestigious new office in the city-state.

The Interpol Global Complex for Innovation building has been officially handed over to the head of the world police body by Singaporean authorities, a statement from Interpol said late last week.

“The decision to establish the IGCI is testament to INTERPOL’s leadership, and its recognition of the fact that the nature of crime is changing rapidly. Fuelled by globalisation and technological advancements, crime has become transnational if not global, more complex and sophisticated, and pervasive in its impact,” Singapore Second Minister S Iswaran said in a ceremony handing about the building handover.

As part of the digital security pillar, a forensic laboratory will be established within the IGCI, which will also assist in the development of practical solutions in collaboration with police, research laboratories, academia and the public and private sectors.

The Cyber Fusion Centre will bring together experts from law enforcement, industry and academia to actively identify and develop intelligence about emerging threats and criminal cyber entities.

Described as “Interpol’s nerve centre for cyber threat intelligence and coordination of operations”, the CFC will facilitate police-to-police information sharing and securely deliver actionable intelligence on identified threats within cyberspace.

A Command and Coordination Centre operations room will reinforce those already in place at Interpol’s General Secretariat headquarters in Lyon and its Regional Bureau in Buenos Aires, Argentina.