INTERPOL deploying Incident Response Team to Sri Lanka to assist authorities in investigations

INTERPOL is deploying a team to Sri Lanka to assist authorities in investigating the series of bomb attacks at churches and hotels which left nearly 300 dead and some 500 injured on Sunday (April 21).

The Incident Response Team (IRT) being deployed at the request of the Sri Lankan authorities, will include specialists with expertise in crime scene examination, explosives, counter-terrorism, disaster victim identification and analysis.

If required, additional expertise in digital forensics, biometrics, as well as photo and video analysis will also be added to the team on the ground.

Checks are already being made against the Organization’s Stolen and Lost Travel Documents and nominal databases in order to identify potential investigative leads and international connections, a statement from INTERPOL said.

“As the Sri Lankan authorities investigate these horrific attacks, INTERPOL will continue to provide whatever support is necessary,” INTERPOL Secretary General Jürgen Stock was quoted as saying.

“Information to help identify individuals linked to these attacks could come from anywhere in the world, which is where INTERPOL’s global network and databases can prove vital, especially for officers on the ground.

“The families and friends of the victims of these bombings, as with every terrorist attack, require and deserve the full support of the global law enforcement community,” concluded the INTERPOL Chief.

In addition to the IRT, support is also being provided through the 24-hour Command and Coordination Centre (CCC) at INTERPOL’s General Secretariat headquarters in Lyon, France, as well as in Singapore and Buenos Aires, Argentina.

To assist with the identification of foreign nationals among the victims, the CCC can also act as a liaison to the INTERPOL National Central Bureaus of the involved countries to ensure any data is exchanged as quickly as possible.