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The new mode of transport for would-be jihadis? Cruise ships, obviously

The new mode of transport for would-be jihadis? Cruise ships, obviously

Would-be jihadi fighters are booking tickets on cruise ships to join extremists in Syria and Iraq, hoping to bypass efforts to thwart them in Turkey, according to Interpol officials.

Pierre St Hilaire, Interpol’s counter-terror director, and outgoing Interpol chief Ronald Noble, suggested the Turkish crackdown and increased monitoring of airports are forcing would-be jihadis into alternative travel plans.

Mr Noble told the Associated Press yesterday: “Because they know the airports are monitored more closely now, there’s a use of cruise ships to travel to those areas.

“There is evidence that the individuals, especially in Europe, are travelling mostly to Izmit and other places to engage in this type of activity."

Interpol is hoping to expand a database of airline passenger information to include cruise lines, banks and hotels.

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