“Only by working together can we enhance intelligence sharing, build capacities, and prevent counterfeit and dangerous goods from moving through the global trade ecosystem”, WCO Secretary General, Ian Saunders, told the 18th INTERPOL Intellectual Property Crime Conference in a keynote address.
This year’s conference “Working in Partnership to Advance Safety and Security,” served as a clear call to action for all stakeholders to strengthen collaboration in tackling IP crime. The event brought together law enforcement agencies, policymakers, rights holders, industry representatives, and key partners in this critical arena.
Call for strong partnerships and sharing of data to uphold integrity of trade
In his keynote address, the WCO Secretary General stressed that Customs and Police alone cannot succeed against IP crimes. Effective action requires close cooperation among governments, law enforcement, international organizations, the private sector, and academia to enhance intelligence sharing, build capacities, and keep counterfeit and dangerous goods off the market.
He highlighted that criminal networks operate across borders, and so must our response. He stressed the importance of reinforcing partnerships to protect societies, safeguard public health, and uphold the integrity of trade.
Mr. Saunders noted the importance of data to drive action. Through analysis of data submitted by Members to the Customs Enforcement Network (CEN), the WCO has seen a large increase in seizures of items in violation of IP rights. For comparison, Customs Administrations reported the seizure of 166 million counterfeit items in 2004. By 2024, this figure had increased by 22%, or nearly 200 million.
Of particular concern is the dominance of illicit medicines in these figures, which alone accounted for more than 74% of the reported seizures numbering 148 million items. If these medicines had reached the wider public, this would have had a direct impact on the health and safety of citizens.
To contribute to combating IP crime, the WCO has undertaken joint operations with INTERPOL which have provided invaluable data that will inform the way forward in understanding the risks, trends and the role of enforcement in reducing this type of crime. Operation STOP and Operation PANGEA are recent examples of how customs intelligence, law enforcement capabilities and cross-border cooperation, have been used to target counterfeit and illicit medicines.
Mr. Saunders concluded his remarks by asserting that this fight is not just about intellectual property, it is about protecting people, safeguarding economies, and upholding confidence in the global trading system.
WCO and INTERPOL building on cooperation
On the sidelines of the conference, Secretary General Saunders held a bilateral meeting with INTERPOL Secretary General Urquiza to review ongoing cooperation and discuss topics of mutual interest, including exploring new avenues for collaboration.
The bilateral meeting reaffirmed the excellent relationship between WCO and INTERPOL across multiple areas.
Both organizations emphasized the importance of sustaining this high level of cooperation, as demonstrated through the biannual Senior Management Meetings, while continuing to explore new opportunities for joint action.
The WCO continues to focus efforts on combatting IP crime through its work on supply chain integrity, sharing of intelligence and data, conducting operations to tackle specific IP issues, and capacity building to strengthen Members’ abilities to assess and prevent counterfeit products from proliferating in the global trade system. The WCO is committed to ongoing collaboration with Customs and Law Enforcement to counter threats from IP crime.