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Sierra Leone is seeking to strengthen its ability to investigate financial crime as INTERPOL experts push for deeper cooperation with the national police on scams and increasingly complex fraud cases.
Two INTERPOL experts, identified in a Sierra Leone Police account as Kiyotaka Sekine and Carios Gonzales Yepes, met with Inspector General of Police William Fayia Sellu to discuss training, intelligence sharing and investigative capacity.
The engagement places greater emphasis on developing investigators’ skills and improving the exchange of information needed to trace financial crimes that cross national borders.
According to the Sierra Leone Police, Sekine said Sierra Leone had been selected among 18 countries to benefit from an INTERPOL project aimed at improving national responses to financial crime. The police account did not provide further details about the project, including its participating countries, funding or implementation timetable.
The SLP also said Sekine praised Sellu for supporting officers’ participation in international training and other professional development programmes.
Sellu welcomed the INTERPOL support and said Sierra Leone should avoid becoming a base for international fraudsters and scammers, according to the police.
The inspector general stressed the importance of international cooperation, specialised training and intelligence sharing in identifying and disrupting cross-border financial crime networks.
The discussions come as the SLP continues efforts to modernise its policing capabilities. Its 2025-2029 Strategic Development Plan includes a broader push to move the institution toward a more service-oriented model and strengthen cooperation with international partners.
INTERPOL has previously used training, investigative support and information-sharing programmes to help member countries address financial crime and other forms of transnational crime. Its documented programmes include work on financial investigations, money laundering and international cooperation.