BIMCO Calls for Law Enforcement Officers as Part of Anti-Piracy Efforts

Leading shipowner grouping, BIMCO, demands law enforcement officers should join anti-piracy campaigns on warships to deviate Interpol's ban on information sharing.

BIMCO urges implementing this motion to allow police onboard ships deployed as anti-piracy riding squads would effectively remove present obstacles that make it difficult to monitor and identify pirate gangs through the international policing agency.

Interpol strengthened its commitment of neutrality and respecting sovereignty of states by stating in its constitution, "It is strictly forbidden for the organization to undertake any intervention or activities of a political, military, religious or racial character." BIMCO specialists suggest that this provision is hindering any direct cooperation with navies engaged in anti-piracy efforts off Somalia. Thus, policemen and women would have granted access to take advantage of Interpol intelligence.

Interpol's sophisticated database holds information that was passed to them from national police forces, in turn this action would allow law enforcement teams to have access to this dense database. Photos and fingerprints of captured pirate suspects could be instantly transferred to Interpol, essentially making possible arrests and prosecution under national law. However, one of the problems this plan faces is few nation states have the capability to provide law enforcement officers.

In a landmark case, thought to be the first national criminal investigation into an attack in international waters, Clipper Group initiated proceedings against the unknown clan that hijacked one of its vessels in the Gulf of Aden in 2008.