CHEMICAL AND EXPLOSIVE TERRORISM

CHEMICAL AND EXPLOSIVE TERRORISM

THE THREAT OF CHEMICAL AND EXPLOSIVE TERRORISM The use of chemical and explosive materials by criminals and terrorist groups poses a significant threat today and all regions of the world are at risk. As well as endangering public safety on a large-scale, such attacks can severely impact economic and political stability. INTERPOL s response INTERPOL supports member countries work to deter, detect and disrupt the use of chemicals in terrorist incidents by preventing criminals from diverting, smuggling and using chemical warfare agents, toxic industrial chemicals and explosive precursor chemicals. Tailor-made training courses are designed to improve chemical security and prevent the smuggling of dangerous chemicals across borders under a multi-agency framework. These courses assist in building capacity, for not only law enforcement, but also other government authorities such as customs and immigration, as well as first responders such as firefighters, paramedics, and those involved in industry, making it easier to share information, establish common practices and coordinate joint responses. In addition to compiling and distributing intelligence reports, we look at trends and patterns and design strategies to prevent this threat. Our specialized staff conduct assessments of country or regional needs and offer operational support for law enforcement activities on the ground.

TARGETED SUPPORT

Project Canine It is crucial for law enforcement to have the ability to not only apprehend the individuals responsible for these crimes but also be able to prosecute and convict them, reducing the threat of repeat offences by the same individuals and groups. Project Canine aims to train senior investigators on how to structure a major investigation of crimes involving chemical agents so that evidence can be preserved and its integrity can be upheld in a court of law and convictions can be achieved. This includes a four-day course on major chemical investigation techniques and best practices, and a two-day tabletop exercise for senior investigators and law enforcement officers. At the outcome of the project, a needs assessment is carried out, to identify areas of improvement. Project Chase (Chemical Anti-smuggling Enforcement) Project Chase increases the capacity of agencies to target the illegal movement of chemical warfare agents, toxic industrial chemicals and explosive precursor chemicals. It addresses police, customs and immigration officials, and aims to improve multi-agency coordination and information exchange in order to identify, interdict and investigate chemical smuggling. Each cycle of Chase is composed of a needs assessment and curriculum design phase, two training courses and a multi-agency border operation that build on the training and skills that have been developed. Project Chasm (Chemical Awareness and Scene Management) This five-day training course enhances the capability of crime scene examiners in dealing with chemical and/or explosive contaminated incident scenes, outlining appropriate safety procedures and established sampling techniques while working in a highly dangerous crime scene environment. The course also aims to strengthen the ability of law enforcement agencies to investigate chemical attacks, manage chemical crime scenes and forensics protocols, and to foster cooperation among law enforcement agencies within a region. Project Crimp (Chemical Risk Identification and Mitigation Project) This two-week course brings together law enforcement agencies and chemical industry partners to develop a chemical risk matrix of the most significant chemicals of concern based on their local threat. Participants can then undertake targeted law enforcement countermeasures to detect, deter, and disrupt the access of non-state actors to the highest risk chemicals. The first week targets the chemical risk assessment process and prioritization of the risk, while the second week focuses on establishing and delivering a chemical countermeasures programme.

Project Litmus Project Litmus enables law enforcement, first responders, health and environmental authorities to disrupt chemical attacks during the development and construction stage of a chemical weapon or Improvised Explosive Device (IED). This five-day training course also strengthens the knowledge of law enforcement entities so they can identify and followup on indicators of chemical attacks in preparation, as well as establish relationships among incident responders. Project Watchmaker Project Watchmaker assists member countries in identifying and uploading profiles of known and suspected individuals involved in the manufacture of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) to a dedicated database. This enables both covert and overt detection of individuals as they cross international borders, thereby alerting countries to take appropriate legal action. This is achieved through sharing INTERPOL Notices and diffusions on individuals manufacturing or using chemical IEDs, and by working groups that facilitate the exchange of biometric data and document records. RESOURCES Videos INTERPOL CBRNE video Project Chase video Project Chasm video

ABOUT INTERPOL Connecting police for a safer world INTERPOL is the world s largest international police organization, with 190 member countries. Our role is to enable police around the world to work together to make the world a safer place. Our high-tech infrastructure of technical and operational support helps meet the growing challenges of fighting crime in the 21st century. Only through international cooperation can police hope to tackle today s criminals. We work to ensure that police around the world can instantly share and access the relevant data necessary to assist their investigations through secure communications channels. We facilitate police cooperation even when diplomatic relations do not exist between particular countries, in line with INTERPOL s objective of political neutrality. The targeted training, expert investigative support and global networks offered by INTERPOL help police on the ground to coordinate their efforts to make the world a safer place. INTERPOL General Secretariat CBRNE Chemical and Explosive Terrorism Prevention Unit 200 Quai Charles de Gaulle 69006 Lyon, France Tel: +33 4 72 44 70 00 Fax: +33 4 72 44 71 63 E-mail: chemex@interpol.int www.interpol.int Twitter: @INTERPOL_CBRNE YouTube : INTERPOLHQ (CBRNE Playlist) MARCH 2017