A New Standard in Regional Border Security
A major transnational security initiative coordinated by INTERPOL has concluded with the arrest of 48 individuals across the Middle East and North Africa. The operation, codenamed ‘Phoenix,’ marks a significant milestone as the first regional security effort where female police officers held full operational command, from frontline document screening to high-level coordination at operational centers in Algeria and Jordan.
According to The Sun, the three-week operation targeted illicit cross-border activity in Algeria, Jordan, Morocco, Palestine, and Tunisia. During this period, security personnel performed more than 700,000 checks against INTERPOL databases, resulting in 246 positive hits related to individuals and travel documents.
High-Profile Arrests and Seizures
Among the 48 detainees, nine were internationally wanted fugitives. Eight were the subject of INTERPOL Red Notices, while one was flagged via an INTERPOL Wanted Persons Diffusion. INTERPOL confirmed that the arrests included a suspected mastermind behind a 2022 shooting in Toulouse, France, apprehended at Algiers’ Houari Bou Madian International Airport. Another high-profile arrest involved a convicted murderer who had escaped a 15-year prison sentence, apprehended at the Algeria-Tunisia land border.
Beyond the arrests, the operation disrupted significant criminal logistics. Authorities seized 11 luxury vehicles, 1.8 kilograms of gold, 13,000 Captagon pills, over 500 mobile phones, and significant quantities of cash in both US dollars and Euros. The operation also successfully identified five stolen or lost travel documents.
Strategic Impact and Future Capacity
Operation Phoenix is a core component of ‘Project Momentum-MENA,’ a three-year initiative funded by the European Union aimed at enhancing law enforcement capacity across the MENA region. By empowering female officers to lead all aspects of the operation—including complex second-line interviews and international cooperation—INTERPOL aims to professionalize and diversify regional police forces.
María Carmen Muñoz González, INTERPOL’s Director of Counter-Terrorism, noted that the success of the operation underscores the critical importance of international cooperation at sensitive border crossings. The initiative demonstrates how integrating specialized training with real-world border enforcement can yield tangible results in identifying and apprehending individuals linked to terrorism and organized crime.