Europol’s Catherine De Bolle (facing livestream monitor) applauds while CBI’s Praveen Sood is seen on the screen (C) facing her after the signing of the “working arrangement” between their respective agencies in the virtual event. (Photo: Europol)
New Delhi: In a significant development for cooperation in international law enforcement, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol) signed a “working arrangement”, on Thursday. This agreement establishes a framework for collaboration in tackling serious crime and terrorism.
The CBI director, Praveen Sood, and the Europol executive director, Catherine De Bolle, signed the agreement in a virtual event in the attendance of senior CBI and Europol officials in attendance from New Delhi and The Hague in the Netherlands.
The “working arrangement” facilitates direct communication and information exchange between the CBI and Europol. This will be key in areas, such as cybercrime investigations, money laundering, and counterterrorism.
This agreement not only brings together the CBI and Europol but also enables wide cooperation between all law-enforcement agencies in India and all law enforcement agencies of 27 European countries that Europol represents, as well as third countries and organizations associated with Europol.
Europol’s expertise in intelligence gathering and analysis will be an asset to the CBI, while India’s vast experience can benefit European law-enforcement agencies.
Experts believe that this strategic partnership between the two agencies is expected to yield significant benefits. Improved information sharing will streamline investigations and enhance the ability to track down criminals operating across borders.
Apart from cooperating with each other, the agreement also paves the way for joint training programmes and capacity-building initiatives that will further strengthen the capabilities of both sides.
