Largest ever deployment of Interpol for World Cup

The World Cup will have the largest ever deployment of the organization's officers at any global event, says the head of Interpol.

Interpol secretary-general Ronald Noble said Wednesday that 20 to 25 countries would be providing manpower to support the South African police, as well as additional officers from countries sending teams to the tournament.

Noble was given a tour of security facilities at Johannesburg and Durban airports on Wednesday by South Africa's Deputy Police Commissioner, Andre Prius, to assess World Cup readiness.

Prius said Interpol officers and the South African Police Service will form a fully integrated force to deal with all security threats, including terrorism, organised crime and hooliganism.

"Cooperation could not be stronger" between the two forces, Noble said.

"At this stage, there is no indication of any direct threat of terrorism against the event. Nobody can put any intelligence on the table of any threat," said Pruis, adding that both organisations will continue monitoring intelligence in the lead up to the World Cup.

Ports of entry will be focal points for security services, where passengers will be screened using Interpol databases containing details of more than 11 million stolen passports, which are often used for terrorism, organised crime and trafficking purposes, Noble said.

Noble says technological advancements have also made mobile spot checks of identities and fingerprints possible, and this would be taking place at fan parks, stadiums and other World Cup venues.

It is also the first time that Interpol will generate identity documents for individuals who have been deemed "non-threatening," allowing police officers to focus their attention elsewhere.