Founded in 1923, INTERPOL today brings together 196 member states, making it the world’s second-largest international organization after the United Nations. It is the backbone of global law enforcement cooperation, monitoring terrorism, cybercrime, organized crime, and a spectrum of transnational threats while linking police forces through its network of National Central Bureaus.

On paper, INTERPOL’s mandate is direct: to ensure and promote the widest possible mutual assistance among criminal police authorities. Yet in practice, that mandate remains incomplete. For more than four decades, Taiwan has been excluded from the organization for political reasons, despite its record as a capable, responsible, and increasingly indispensable security partner.

Taiwan’s law enforcement agencies possess deep experience in crime prevention, public safety, and international cooperation. Their work has produced major successes against drug smuggling, cyberfraud, and other cross-border crimes, contributing to Taiwan’s reputation as one of the safest societies in the world. Nevertheless, Taiwan remains unable to access INTERPOL’s databases, attend its meetings, or engage in real-time information exchanges. Its exclusion weakens its ability to combat transnational crime, gives criminal networks more room to operate across borders, and ultimately erodes security not only for Taiwan, but for the wider Indo-Pacific region and the global community.

The accelerating pace of globalization has transformed criminal activity. People, goods, and illicit funds can now move with unprecedented speed, leaving national jurisdictions behind. Drug trafficking, human smuggling, cyberattacks, financial fraud, and other crimes have become shared burdens that no single government can manage alone. At a moment when criminal networks are both more global and more technologically sophisticated, police forces need a security architecture that is seamless, cooperative, and inclusive. Effective responses depend on rapid intelligence sharing and coordinated operations rather than isolated national efforts. Granting Taiwan meaningful participation in INTERPOL would help close a dangerous gap by enabling countries to coordinate without obstruction, confront common threats more effectively, and protect public order.

Taiwan’s domestic record illustrates the capabilities it brings. According to the Numbeo global database, Taiwan ranks fourth in safety among 147 countries worldwide, with a strong sense of community, responsive policing, and a relatively low crime rate. The island records just over 1,200 reported crimes per 100,000 people, while its homicide rate sits at 2.3 per 100,000—well below the global average. These figures reflect an environment where community-police cooperation is robust and where public trust helps drive effective law enforcement. Taiwan’s performance has become a benchmark for policymakers and police professionals, helping position it as a stable, attractive destination for international travel and investment.

For years, Taiwan has signaled its willingness to do more in the global fight against transnational crime. Authorities stand ready to contribute to criminal investigations, share intelligence, and work with partners to protect people’s safety far beyond Taiwan’s own borders. That commitment is reflected in its years of experience combating telecom fraud, drug trafficking, and other cross-border offenses. In the fisheries sector, Taiwan has developed expertise tracing vessels implicated in human trafficking, forced labor, and illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing.

But without access to INTERPOL’s I-24/7 global communications system—the backbone of police-to-police cooperation—Taiwan remains cut off from real-time information exchange. It cannot instantly transmit urgent alerts or fully join coordinated enforcement operations. Delays in reporting and coordination can mean lost evidence, missed arrests, and victims left without timely protection. Taiwan’s absence creates a conspicuous gap in the global law enforcement network that should be treated as a serious, avoidable vulnerability.

The rise of transnational fraud further underscores this need. Scam syndicates have increasingly relocated operations to Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos, trapping people from dozens of countries who are lured by false job offers before being forced into online fraud. Many are subjected to beatings, sexual abuse, debt bondage, sale to other criminal groups, or trafficking for organ harvesting. An INTERPOL crime trend update released on June 30 warned of the globalization of these scam centers, which are fueled by human trafficking and now draw victims from at least 66 countries, with numbers likely in the hundreds of thousands.

Taiwanese police have shown they can help dismantle such networks. In 2024, authorities uncovered and shut down an online forum distributing large volumes of child sexual exploitation material, known as the Creative Private Room. The platform, with more than 5,000 members, relied on cryptocurrency payments, anonymity tools, and encrypted networks to evade law enforcement. The mastermind, known as Lao Ma, was based in China, and the investigation faced many of the same challenges confronting agencies worldwide as they pursue online child exploitation: encrypted communications, distributed networks, and complex cross-border coordination. The case demonstrated not only Taiwan’s technical skill in confronting cybercrime but also its readiness to work with the international community to protect children and counter transnational abuse.

These contributions have been recognized beyond Taiwan. In an article published on September 5 titled “Taiwan’s Interpol exclusion undermines global policing efforts,” Dr. John Coyne of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute argued that Taiwan is a crucial Indo-Pacific partner whose exclusion weakens international operations by delaying intelligence sharing and arrests. Taiwan’s ports, airlines, and financial system are prime targets for transnational criminal networks, he noted, making its participation essential to regional and global security.

At a time when criminal organizations operate with unprecedented reach, the international community has little choice but to deepen intelligence exchange and forge stronger partnerships. Supporting Taiwan’s meaningful participation in INTERPOL is part of that work. Countries should back Taiwan’s bid to attend the INTERPOL General Assembly as an observer and to take part in its mechanisms, meetings, and activities in a substantive way, free from political barriers that impede cooperation. Taiwan remains committed to strengthening communication with partners worldwide and working alongside them to counter transnational crime and safeguard global security.