Dubbed “Neptune VI,” this international operation, carried out in cooperation with the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) and Europol, took place in several countries, including Morocco. The operation bolstered security across the Mediterranean Sea, as well as in airports and at land borders in the participating countries.

According to INTERPOL, this two-week operation focused on identifying and analysing the movement patterns of Foreign Terrorist Fighters and people with links to terrorism as well as criminal groups responsible for cross-border crimes, such as drug trafficking, weapons smuggling and human trafficking.

During Neptune VI, officers on the ground also checked INTERPOL records of stolen vehicles and lost or stolen travel documents, which are both key assets for facilitating terrorist funding and mobility, INTERPOL added.

By the end of “Neptune VI,” twelve million items of data had been cross-referenced, and a dozen of Interpol's most-wanted individuals had been arrested, in addition to 54 other people wanted by the authorities of certain countries for offences relating to drugs and fraud, as well as gold, money and arms smuggling.

The initiative yielded significant seizures, including €549,000 in undeclared cash, gold worth €10 million, 25 kilograms of cannabis, 35 stolen vehicles, and several illegal rifles and ammunition.