Interpol leads female-led Operation Phoenix across MENA region

Interpol coordinated ‘Operation Phoenix’, a three-week anti-terrorism campaign across Morocco, Algeria, Jordan, Palestine, and Tunisia. This operation was notable for being the first in the Middle East and North Africa region to be led entirely by female police officers as part of the EU-funded Momentum-MENA program.

During the operation, authorities conducted over 700,000 checks against international databases, resulting in 48 arrests. These included eight individuals flagged via Interpol Red Notices and one via another international alert. Notable captures included a suspect believed to be the organizer of a 2022 shooting in Toulouse, France, arrested at Algiers airport, and a fugitive convicted of murder apprehended at the Algeria-Tunisia border.

In addition to terrorism-related arrests, the operation seized various illicit goods, highlighting the link between terrorism financing and common crime. Seizures included 11 luxury vehicles, approximately $16,300 and €9,900 in cash, 1.8 kilograms of gold, 13,000 Captagon pills, 123 methamphetamine capsules, 530 mobile phones, and over 1,500 cartons of smuggled cigarettes.