24/10/2018
A Bolivian delegation visited the Spanish players involved in the fight against asset laundering associated with drug trafficking and related offences
Bolivian experts during the visit to Madrid
Bolivian officials visited Spain as part of a FIIAPP-managed project to support the fight against drug trafficking and related crimes. The project is funded by the European Union and AECID to identify, among other things, money laundering strategies in the crimes committed by criminal groups.
This visit allowed the Bolivian officials to meet the major players involved in investigating asset laundering helping the institutions to bring greater efficiency to the fight against these crimes. In particular, they met with the specialist units of theNational Police Force, Civil Guard and Customs Surveillance, the National Drug Plan (PNSD), the Terrorism and Organised Crime Intelligence Centre (CITCO) and the Executive Service of the Commission for the Prevention of Money Laundering and Monetary Offences (SEPBLAC).
The participants were therefore able to find out about the duties and roles of each institution, how they gather and use financial intelligence, and undertake investigation and inter-institutional coordination between the state law-enforcement agencies.
Other topics addressed were information exchange, the legal process for the different types of asset laundering, the management and recovery of assets linked to drug trafficking and the prevention of money laundering through the constant flow of information and risk assessment.
Officers from the Bolivian Police and the Financial Investigation Unit specialising in the Prevention and Investigation of Money Laundering took part in this visit.
This trip led to meetings of great strategic value between the executive directors of SEPBLAC Spain and the Bolivian Financial Investigation Unit (UIF), which will lead to future support and mutual assistance for both organisations. Similarly, cooperation agreements will be signed by the Spanish Notaries Association and the UIF.
The project, which is managed by FIIAPP. gives constant support to skills building, offering advice on creating investigation manuals and standard protocols, and conducting a project to set up a Financial Intelligence Centre. It adds value to strengthening the public policy of the Plurinational State of Bolivia.
