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Esteemed Delegates,
Welcome to Fort Myers High School’s second annual in-‐house conference! This year’s crisis committee will follow Interpol on its mission to stop the notorious international organization of diamond thieves, the Pink Panthers. Unlike the United Nations, Interpol is not primarily concerned with diplomacy and international consensus building, but with law enforcement—taking action. Interpol thus lends itself well to a productive and exciting crisis scenario.
For those of you who have not participated in a crisis debate before, you should expect a different debate experience in this committee than in traditional Model UN. Firstly, delegates will not represent national governments. Instead, delegates will represent the directors of law enforcement agencies like the FBI and Europol. This reflects Interpol’s more specific focus than other committees and gives delegates more power to take action individually.
Secondly, resolution papers, which in a traditional committee are written, debated, and drafted over the course of days, are not used in crisis committees. Instead, delegates have two primary tools with which to respond to the crisis: communiqués and directives. Communiqués are sent to another organization to receive information, make requests, or provide explanations. They may be sent individually (as when a delegate asks their home government if a certain action is possible) or by the committee as a whole (as press releases, for example).
Directives are orders to carry out a certain course of action. Like communiqués, they may be sent individually or as a committee. Individual delegates have the power to direct the agencies they represent to take action without consulting the rest of the committee. However, for Interpol itself to take action, a group directive will be necessary. Unlike resolution papers, directives are short and have a specific, short-‐term focus (such as the execution of a single mission). This allows the committee to respond quickly to events as they unfold.
Thirdly, in line with the decreased emphasis on formal debate in a crisis, the committee will not have a speaker’s list. Instead, committee will fall back on a permanent moderated caucus (with speaking time determined by a vote at the beginning) that lasts until another motion is made.
The officers at Fort Myers High School have put a lot of effort into making this a fun and exciting crisis committee. I speak for all of us when I say, have fun!
Sincerely, Blaine Talbut, Crisis Director
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INTERPOL
Committee Background The International Criminal Police Organization (ICPO, commonly known by
its telegraphic address, Interpol) is an intergovernmental organization that serves
to coordinate the efforts of national police organizations in carrying out
international law enforcement. Interpol focuses primarily on organized crime,
white-‐collar crime, and terrorism. However, Interpol’s constitution forbids it from
“any intervention or activities of a political, military, religious or racial character.”
Interpol operates a number of crime databases to facilitate information
sharing between agencies, making information such as criminal histories,
fingerprints, and DNA available internationally. Interpol offices also frequently act
as liaisons between different national agencies, helping to ease bureaucratic
difficulties. However, in times of emergency or crisis, Interpol can and does
intervene more directly. Interpol can organize incident response teams to provide
expertise and technological resources, such as database access and GIS, to local
authorities. Furthermore, Interpol can deploy central command and logistics teams
to coordinate law enforcement efforts at the scene of an emergency, developing and
implementing investigation and enforcement strategies and providing leadership to
local authorities. It is through such deployments that you can implement your
committee’s plans of action “on the ground.”
Despite these capabilities, it is important to bear in mind that Interpol agents
never have any authority to themselves make arrests (although Interpol does issue
arrest warrants). Arrests can only be made by local authorities—therefore, the
representatives of individual law enforcement agencies will have a great deal of
responsibility to carry out enforcement actions as the crisis unfolds.
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Your committee will be a meeting of the Interpol Emergency Action
committee, consisting of representatives from global law enforcement agencies, for
the purpose of developing enforcement strategies to combat the thieves’
organization known as the Pink Panthers.
Committee History Interpol, then called the International Criminal Police Commission (ICPC),
was founded in Vienna in 1923. Original membership included Austria, Belgium,
China, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland,
Romania, Sweden, Switzerland, the United States, and Yugoslavia. After Nazi
Germany annexed Austria in 1938, Interpol fell under Nazi control. For the duration
of World War II, the ICPC’s Executive Committee was staffed by Nazi officers.
After the war, the WWII allies revived the organization, and moved the
headquarters to Saint-‐Cloud, France. From there, the headquarters was moved in
1989 to Lyon, its current location.
In 1956, the organization’s modern constitution was enacted, transforming
the ICPC into ICPO-‐Interpol. As part of the new constitution, a system for the
collection dues from member states was implemented, enabling Interpol to achieve
financial autonomy from its host nation.
In 1998, the Interpol Criminal Information System (ICIS) was launched,
enabling rapid information sharing between national agencies. Since 2003, Interpol
has operated a Command and Co-‐ordination Centre at the General Secretariat in
Lyon, enabling the organization to remain in operation 24/7.
Topic Background – The Pink Panthers In 2003, three men robbed the flagship store of the London jeweler Graff,
making off with more than thirty million dollars’ worth of diamonds. It was the most
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expensive jewel heist in British history. Investigating the robbery, London police
discovered an accomplice of the thieves who had attempted to smuggle out a
diamond worth seven hundred fifty thousand dollars hidden in a tub of face cream.
Because of the scale of the crime and the use of a similar dodge in the Peter Sellers
films, British tabloids took to calling the diamond thieves “the Pink Panthers.”
Since 2003, the Pink Panthers have stolen a total of over a quarter of a billion
dollars in diamonds in twenty different countries. They are well known for their
elaborate and audacious heists. For example, in 2005, they robbed a French jewelry
store while wearing bright floral t-‐shirts and make their escape in speedboats. In
2008, they robbed a jewelry store in an indoor Dubai mall by driving a pair of
limousines through its front window. In addition to their daring nature, the Pink
Panthers’ heists are often characterized by careful attention to detail. For example,
before a robbery of a French jewelry store, the thieves covered the nearby bench
with a wet coat of paint to ensure that no one would be sitting there to witness the
burglary.
Several high-‐ranking members of the Pink Panthers are believed by Interpol
to live in Montenegro and Serbia. There is evidence that some prominent members
of the Pink Panthers are former soldiers from Balkan nations. Estimates vary on the
number of members the organization has—Interpol has stated that there are likely
to be hundreds of members, but other investigators have speculated that the group
has only about fifty core members. Extremely little is known about the group’s
internal organization. However, it is believed that their proceeds are hidden through
a combination of bribes to Balkan government officials and laundering in cafés,
restaurants, and real estate.
While a handful of less-‐important thieves have been arrested in Europe and
elsewhere, by far the most significant arrest was that of the Serbian Dragan Mikić in
2003. Two years later, Mikić escaped from a high-‐security prison in France with the
help of two men in a white van who raised ladders to his prison cell and fired
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Kalashnikovs at the guards. Mikić is believed to be a senior member of the pink
panthers, and is currently on Interpol’s list of wanted criminals.
Interpol has partnered with national law enforcement agencies to compile a
large database of information related to suspected pink panther members and
robberies, including fingerprints, DNA, and personal descriptions.
Committee Members
Director of Europol
Europol is a criminal intelligence agency run by the European Union. Its role is
somewhat comparable to that of Interpol, facilitating cooperation between
European police agencies. However, Europol has more power than Interpol to direct
officers and missions within Europe. Europol police missions in Afghanistan, Bosnia
and Herzegovina, and the Palestinian Territories are the only national police forces
such nations have, while assistance missions operate in many other countries both
within and without Europe.
Director-‐General of MI5
MI5 is the internal intelligence and security agency of the United Kingdom. Although
its primary responsibility is domestic security, the MI5 can and does operate abroad
in support of its mission.
Director-‐General of La Police Nationale
La Police Nationale is the national civilian police force of the French Republic. It is
complemented by the national military police force, the Gendarmerie. La Police
Nationale operates primarily in urban areas, while the Gendarmerie operates in the
French countryside. Investigating organized crime such as that of the Pink Panthers
is primarily the responsibility of La Police Nationale.
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President of the Bundeskriminalamt (BKA)
Unlike in other nations, the responsibility for law enforcement in Germany is
constitutionally vested in the states. Thus, the BKA’s capabilities are limited to
investigating international crime and acting on the request of German states.
Because the Pink Panther case involves the international community, the BKA is
responsible for investigating it within and outside of Germany.
Comandante General of the Carabinieri The Carabinieri is the national military police of Italy. As an autonomous unit of the
Italian military, the Carabinieri has greater authority than many other national law
enforcement agencies. The Carabinieri has organized an elite unit, the ROS, to deal
with organized crime, whose investigations often involve an international element.
Director of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB)
The FSB is the Russian domestic security agency, whose responsibilities involve
counter-‐intelligence, border security, and counter-‐terrorism. As the primary heir to
the Soviet-‐era Committee of State Security (KGB), the FSB has historically played a
strong role internationally, particularly with respect to organized crime and
terrorism. However, with that inheritance come frequent allegations of corruption
and human rights abuse.
President of the Bundeskriminalamt (.BK)
Not to be confused with the German BKA (whose unabbreviated name is identical),
the .BK was founded both to centralize national law enforcement capabilities in the
Republic of Austria and to investigate international crime affected Austria. It is
structurally distinct from the civilian police force of Austria, primarily concerned
with day-‐to-‐day enforcement of the laws. The .BK plays a more specialized role in
dealing with national, international, and organized crime.
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Director of the Federal Office of Police (Fedpol)
Fedpol is an office of Switzerland’s Federal Department of Justice and Police. Law
enforcement is primarily the responsibility of cantons (regional administrative
units) in Switzerland, and Fedpol’s role is to coordinate the cantonal police forces
both with each other when investigating federal offenses and with foreign agencies
when investigating international crime. Furthermore, Fedpol administers
Switzerland’s internal intelligence agency, the DAP.
Director of the Serbian Police
The Serbian Police are administered by the General Police Directorate, itself
subservient to the Ministry of the Interior. It is responsible for directing all local and
national police investigations. Despite having one of the most well-‐functioning
police departments in the region, with over 25,000 officers, the Serbian Police are
marred by continual allegations of corruption.
Director of the Montenegrin Police Administration
The Montenegrin Police Administration is an agency administered by the
Montenegrin Ministry of Interior and Public Administration. The Montenegrin Police
Administration employs 8,000 officers. Governmental stability in Montenegro
remains a serious concern, and the police play a vital role in maintaining it; in this
effort they have assisted by an Organization for Security and Co-‐operation in Europe
(OSCE) mission since 2006.
Director of the Albanian State Police
The Albanian Police is the national intelligence and law enforcement agency of
Albania, administered by the Ministry of Interior Affairs. While historically marred
by corruption and inefficacy, a modernization effort begun in the 1990s and
continuing to this day has begun to ease these concerns. The modern Albanian
Police are regarded as better equipped, better funded, and more trustworthy.
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Assisting them in further modernization efforts is a Europol mission, the Police
Assistance Mission of the European Community to Albania (PAMECA).
Director of the Kosovo Police
The Kosovo Police is the national law enforcement agency of Kosovo. After the
resolution of the Kosovo War and the withdrawal of Yugoslav troops from Kosovo,
the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) carried out
law enforcement in the country. UNMIK created the Kosovo Police and assisted in
their development. The Kosovo Police met their goal of developing a force of 7,000
officers in 2004. Today, the Kosovo Police are assisted by the European Union Rule
of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX KOSOVO), the heirs to the withdrawn UNMIK.
Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
The FBI is the national law enforcement agency of the United States of America. Its
responsibilities include investigating all federal crimes in the United States and
domestic intelligence. The Director of the FBI has a formidable international
intelligence resource in the CIA, with which the FBI is closely aligned—however,
cooperation between the FBI and CIA is often shaky.
Lieutenant General of the Dubai Police Force
The Dubai Police Force is the agency responsible for law enforcement in the city of
Dubai, the largest population center of the United Arab Emirates. It is the only police
agency under the jurisdiction of the national government in UAE; all other law
enforcement bodies are administered by the different emirates. It employs 15,000
officers and has developed a reputation for pioneering new technologies, such as
GIS, which are used to combat crime in one of the richest cities in the world.
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Director-‐General of the Qatari Police
The Qatari Police are the national law enforcement agency of Qatar. While Qatar has
a small population, it possesses enormous wealth from oil exports and its
international outreach efforts are beginning to attract tourists, providing
opportunities for organized crime. It is the responsibility of the Qatari Police to
combat such crime, particularly in the modern capital city of Doha.
Commander of the Iranian Police Force
The Iranian Police Force is the national law enforcement agency of Iran. It is under
the jurisdiction of the Commander-‐in-‐Chief of the Iranian Armed Forces and
frequently cooperates with the military. The police are alleged to have participated
in human rights abuses within Iran both historically and in the modern day. Despite
the Iranian government’s hesitations regarding international cooperation, the
Interpol National Central Bureau in Tehran assists Iranian investigations requiring
international police cooperation.
Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)
The CBI is the national law enforcement and intelligence agency of India. The
powers and jurisdiction of the CBI are strictly limited by governmental acts. The CBI
is limited to crimes involving the central government, large-‐scale organized crime,
or international crime. In addition to its law enforcement capabilities, it has access
to a great deal of international information.
Commissioner-‐General of the National Police Agency (NPA)
The NPA is the central coordinating agency of the Japanese police system. The NPA
does not employ any officers of its own. Instead, it facilitates cooperation between
local police forces. However, in the case of national disasters or large-‐scale criminal
activity, the NPA has the authority to take emergency action. It is also responsible
for coordinating police efforts to combat international crime.
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Director of the National Intelligence Service (NIS)
The NIS is the national security, intelligence, and law enforcement agency of South
Korea. Its historically broad powers allowed it to intervene in the military and
civilian politics to an unprecedented degree, developing for itself a reputation for
authoritarianism. However, recent democratic reforms have curbed the NIS’s
power. Nevertheless, it retains a resistance to transparency and the authority and
autonomy to take dramatic action against crime, as well as formidable intelligence
resources.
Commissioner of the Hong Kong Police Force
The Hong Kong Police Force is the law enforcement agency administered by the
Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong. It is largely independent from central
Chinese government authority, in keeping with the autonomy of the Chinese SARs. It
employs 40,000 officers, including a substantial marine division, giving Hong Kong
the second-‐highest citizen–police officer ratio in the world. This agency investigates
crime in one of the wealthiest and most intenrational cities in the world.
Research Questions
1. How does your agency handle requests for cooperation and information
sharing between law enforcement agencies, including extradition?
2. Have the Pink Panthers staged any jewel heists within your nation? How has
your law enforcement agency responded?
3. Are there any groups or organizations within your country with possible
links to organized crime in the Balkans?
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4. What possible ties might the Pink Panthers have to other legal or illegal
groups or organizations, including businesses or governments?
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