The Ministry of Interior announced in a statement monitored by “INSM” that Iraq has obtained the position of Chair of the Cybercrime Working Group at INTERPOL for the Gulf, Middle East, and North Africa regions. This came after a competitive selection process among experts from various countries in the region, based on international standards and specialized interviews.
Brigadier General Dr. Hassan Hadi Latheeth, Director of the Cybersecurity Directorate at the Ministry, was chosen for the position due to his extensive experience and skills in the field of digital security. This assignment complements his ongoing role as an international cybersecurity expert within INTERPOL’s Cybersecurity Expert Group, where he has contributed to global efforts to combat cyber threats.
The Ministry emphasized in its statement that this achievement represents a major responsibility for Iraq in international forums and strengthens its role in cooperating with other countries to build a safer and more stable cyberspace. It also stressed that international cooperation is key to addressing accelerating digital challenges and achieving sustainable digital security that benefits societies and humanity as a whole.
Brigadier General Dr. Hassan Hadi noted in a Facebook post marking his appointment that this role gains special importance with the opening of the INTERPOL Regional Office in Riyadh, which provides a platform for coordination and information exchange. He confirmed that the next phase will focus on combating online fraud and digital extortion through joint regional operations, increasing information sharing via INTERPOL’s digital platforms, standardizing electronic evidence methodologies, and training digital investigators and analysts.
He added that the work plan includes establishing a virtual regional command cell, carrying out two practical simulations over the next two years targeting fraud networks, and publishing annual reports to assess cyber threats in the region.
