INTERPOL and AFRIPOL conducted an international counter-terrorism operation in East Africa on Monday. The operation resulted in the arrest of 37 suspects and the seizure of small arms and heavy weapons, with a suspected linkage to ISIS, Al Shabaab and other foreign terrorist fighters.

The arrested suspects included three people in Somalia, including a suspected bomb maker and an Al-Shabaab operative. Al-Shabaab is an affiliate of al-Qaeda. The organization is responsible for a multitude of devastating attacks in East Africa, including the 2013 attack on Westgate Mall in Kenya.

Four suspected members of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) were arrested in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The ADF has committed numerous violations of international human rights, including child abductions and sexual violence.

The operation consisted of strategic investigations and on-the-ground data analysis from INTERPOL and AFRIPOL officers.

The agencies’ collaboration has been credited for the success of the operation. INTERPOL’s Acting Executive Director, Cyril Gout, stated “These positive results demonstrate the power of international collaboration in the fight against terrorism.” Similarly, acting executive director of AFRIPOL Jalel Chelba said, “This operation highlights the critical role of international cooperation.”

INTERPOL is an international criminal police organization that promotes global police collaboration among 196 member states. The operation, spanning eight East African countries, was conducted under the INTERPOL Support Programme for the African Union in relation to AFRIPOL (ISPA) framework. The ISPA Programme seeks to strengthen AFRIPOL’s efforts to combat international crime and terrorism.

INTERPOL conducts several other anti-terrorism operations in East Africa, including the INTERPOL East African Community (I-EAC) project. I-EAC seeks to safeguard peace in East Africa and is designed to complement other INTERPOL projects in the area.