After the Arrest of Salah Abdeslam, Interpol Calls for Increased Border Vigilance

Interpol issued a statement on Saturday calling for "increased vigilance and care in border control" following the arrest of the main suspect in the Paris terrorist attacks. The statement, published by the French news agency on Saturday, March 19, noted that the arrest of Salah Abdeslam, the primary suspect in the November terrorist attack in Paris, could "encourage his like-minded associates to come to Europe or anywhere else in the world." The statement also warned about the potential use of similar blank Syrian passports, like the one found around the Stade de France during the Paris attacks, for suspects attempting to enter Europe. Interpol, which has a database titled "Lost and Stolen Travel Documents" containing about 250,000 stolen and missing passports from Syria and Iraq, reported that 190,000 of these passports are blank and can be filled with any information and photo. Belgian anti-terrorism police arrested Salah Abdeslam, the main suspect behind the Paris attacks, along with two other suspects on Friday, March 18, approximately four months after the attacks. Abdeslam, 26, was injured in the leg during his arrest but was discharged from the hospital the next day and is likely to be sent to France. Reports indicate that Salah Abdeslam has connections to the Islamic State (ISIS), making him one of the most significant members of the group currently in the hands of Western security services. Abdeslam and his associates killed 131 people and injured hundreds in simultaneous armed attacks across Paris in November, marking the largest terrorist attack in French history.