Analyst States Securiport Helps Forward-Thinking African Governments Secure International Airports From Crime and Terrorism

FREETOWN, Sierra Leone, Dec. 16, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a recent position paper by James Monroe, an international security analyst, ensuring strategic border security is a high priority for European, Middle Eastern and African nations alike in this globally connected world. No longer do borders alone block terrorism and extreme ideologies, and the imperative for improved border security is paramount. When it comes to implementing strong immigration control measures, however, many African nations face significant challenges. As criminals and terrorists, and some who infiltrate the ranks of legitimate asylum-seeking refugees, intend to move across sovereign borders undetected, intelligent immigration control has become a critical weapon in the fight against international crime and terrorism.

Nowhere is there more at stake for border security than at the airport. So far, in 2016 alone, Interpol estimates that its Stolen and Lost Travel Documents database has flagged 115,000 people attempting to use fraudulent passports and travel documents. Sophisticated airport security can catch individuals attempting to travel illegally, but it requires specially trained personnel, comprehensive biometric and passport screening technology in an integrated system, and most importantly, real-time access to Interpol and similar international security-related databases.

To meet this need, some innovative and modernized African nations are establishing public-private sector collaboration agreements to provide state-of-the-art airport security and stem the flow of criminals and terrorists across their borders by lowering the cost of ownership, and maximizing the usage of the most sophisticated predictive analytics tools and big data to keep airport passengers safe. One such company is Washington, DC-based Securiport, which provides proprietary security solutions globally, including numerous countries in Africa such as Senegal, Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone and Equatorial Guinea.

Securiport's integrated immigration control system gives governments access to the airport security technology they need to verify passenger identities and check travel document authenticity. Then, using a real-time connection to Interpol, they have instant access to terrorist watch-lists, no-fly lists, fraudulent document lists and other critical information.

The approach is working. According to recent media reports in Senegal, two suspected jihadists, radicalized overseas, were detained and arrested by Senegal's Criminal Investigation Division (DIC) after one of them was identified by Securiport's watch-list of wanted persons while transiting Senegal's Dakar Airport. According to the media report, Senegal's intelligence services requested that the name of a suspected terrorist be entered into the Securiport watch-list, which successfully identified him upon his arrival in the country. The authorities were alerted, and they were able to apprehend the individual along with an accomplice. The two are being charged with criminal involvement in a terrorist enterprise and promoting and financing terrorist activities.

Moreover, Securiport's integrated immigration control system has enabled the capture of several alleged criminals wanted by Interpol. African media reported that, in Senegal, a French national wanted for the abduction of two children was detained at Dakar International Airport after Securiport's system picked up an active Interpol arrest warrant through its real-time link with Interpol watch-lists. This comes on the heels of another recent security victory in Senegal's international airport, where two individuals with ties to radical extremist groups were detained after their names came up on an Interpol watch-list.

Similar successes have been reported in Ivory Coast, where authorities using Securiport's border control systems intercepted a traveler carrying illegal weapons and recovered a stolen passport that was being used fraudulently. Government leaders in Sierra Leone have commended Securiport's integrated immigration control systems, crediting the system with the capture of several individuals wanted by Interpol as they tried to enter the country.

To achieve these results, countries are using an innovative economic model, a public-private partnership. Securiport is responsible for all equipment, technology and maintenance costs, providing access to advanced, integrated immigration control systems without necessitating expensive infrastructure (large capital expenditures up front) purchases by the partner nation. International passengers, who are screened through Interpol-grade security – and who benefit directly from secure travel – pay a fee to the government for the service, a common practice around the world. This innovative model has been tried and tested in the United States, where the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) charges business travelers a fee for expediting security checks. More broadly, increased immigration control contributes to stronger borders and a more secure nation for every citizen and resident.As results continue to pile up – and more wanted criminals and global terrorists are apprehended at the airport–more developing nations will benefit from Securiport's integrated immigration control system.

For more information, contact Mr. Gal Borenstein, Borenstein Group, Representative on behalf of Mr. James Monroe, independent security analyst, at [email protected], or 703-385-8178. 

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SOURCE James Monroe, Independent Analyst