First meeting of networks of prosecutors and financial investigation police against organised crime

This week, for the first time, more than one hundred representatives of 32 Latin American, European and international networks of police, judicial, prosecutors, prison officials and financial intelligence units fighting transnational organised crime met for the first time.

This first technical and cooperation meeting focused on criminal finances, specifically addressing the use of evidence of illicit capital. The event was promoted by the European Union as part of its commitment to promote joint international efforts to combat organised crime in the European, Latin American and Caribbean regions.

‘For the first time, a regional dialogue has been established between networks that cover different parts of the criminal chain, an example of willingness to coordinate and understanding that the global phenomenon of organised crime must be attacked in a coordinated manner. The Spanish and European cooperation agencies are making resources available to coordinate this work,’ explained FIIAPP Director Francisco Tierraseca at the opening of the event.

Cooperation between institutions to turn financial information into evidence. Collaboration between institutions from different sectors and countries is essential to improve the operational effectiveness of national and regional authorities in the fight against transnational organised crime. Work between networks of specialists is also a key factor in the creation of joint responses to shared challenges at the multilateral level and the promotion of regional coordination spaces.

This first meeting, which is intended to be repeated annually, will serve to strengthen the mechanisms of technical cooperation and coordination between the operational authorities of Justice and Security in Latin America and the Caribbean. The theme chosen for the exchange is the specialised fight against economic crime, according to the different lines of action of organised crime. To this end, experiences and innovative tools in the investigation of transnational financial crimes will be presented, emphasising the importance of financial intelligence and the need to convert it into prosecution evidence for the judicial process.

The ‘Meeting of Latin American Networks for the Fight against Transnational Organised Crime’ has been carried out by the European Union’s international cooperation programme for the fight against transnational organised crime, PACCTO 2.0, which is implemented by a consortium of European institutions, led by the FIIAPP, and the EU Global Facility, together with the Latin American Financial Action Task Force (GAFILAT).