Edward Lee heads the International Criminal Affairs Division (ICAD) of the Criminal Investigation Bureau. Lee began my police career as a police lieutenant in the immigration division at the Taichung Harbor Police Bureau in 1998. He joined the Criminal Investigation Bureau in 2004 and was an investigator with ICAD.

Lee served as a police liaison officer to the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, and the Netherlands from 2004 to 2022. In 2022, he became the chief of the foreign affairs division in the Yunlin County Police Department. In August of 2023, he was transferred back to CIB as deputy director of ICAD and promoted to director of ICAD in February 2024.

He speaks with Bayo Akinloye in Taipei about the urgency and importance of having Taiwan as part of INTERPOL. He argues that the global security network is incomplete without Taiwan. Excerpts: What do you consider a compelling reason INTERPOL should accept Taiwan’s request to return to the international police organisation? According to Article 2 of the Constitution of the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), one of the organization’s aims is to ensure and promote the widest possible mutual assistance among all criminal police authorities.

In recent years, transnational crime has evolved, exacerbated by the rapid advancement of information and communications technology. Criminal activities are increasingly characterized by their cross-border, organised, and anonymous nature, with financial transactions .