INTERPOL to deploy a team to Sri Lanka to assist in investigations

Colombo (News 1st): INTERPOL is due to deploy a team to Sri Lanka to assist in investigations into the series of bomb attacks at churches and hotels which left nearly 300 dead and some 500 injured. According to an official statement, 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. Deployed at the request of the Sri Lankan authorities, the Incident Response Team (IRT) 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. “As the Sri Lankan authorities investigate these horrific attacks, INTERPOL will continue to provide whatever support is necessary,” said INTERPOL Secretary General Jürgen Stock. 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.