Willem Els: Operation Catalyst nets 83 terror-funding suspects

A first-of-its-kind operation targeting terrorism financing has led to 83 arrests across six African countries and the identification of 160 persons of interest. In this interview with BizNews, Willem Els of the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) shares details of the two-month Operation Catalyst, jointly coordinated by INTERPOL and AFRIPOL, during which authorities screened more than 15,000 persons of interest and entities, uncovering around USD 260 million potentially linked to terrorism-related activities. “ it was a very, really big event…it made a huge impact on Africa”. Els explains why tackling terrorist financing is particularly complex for law enforcement, as it often cuts across diverse criminal activities, including fraud, kidnapping for ransom, illicit trade, online scams, Ponzi schemes and the misuse of virtual assets. Els also recalls how he and the late President Nelson Mandela were on the Blue Train - along with scores of foreign dignitaries and premiers and heads of state - when their train was targeted by local terrorists. “…just think what would have happened…”