Financial Crime World

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Organised Crime Index 2021 Report: Guinea Faces Significant Challenges

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Guinea, a fragile and vulnerable state, faces substantial challenges in addressing organised crime. The country is plagued by high levels of corruption, fiscal mismanagement, and poor governance.

Overview

  • Fragile State: Guinea’s government has not prioritised addressing organised crime, resulting in officials using their status for financial gain with impunity.
  • Organised Crime Presence: The country has a significant presence of organised crime groups involved in human trafficking, drug trafficking, and illegal mining.

Trafficking and Smuggling

Arms Trafficking

  • Lack of transparency and control over weapons makes arms trafficking a challenge in Guinea.
  • Local artisanal production of arms is driven by demand from Guinean hunters.

Illicit Gold and Diamond Trafficking

  • Guinea is both a source and transit point for illicit gold and diamond trafficking.
  • The country sits along a major cocaine trafficking route from Latin America to Europe, with traffickers reportedly benefiting from high-level protections of the state.

Criminal Actors

  • African Nationals: Present in human trafficking organisations across Guinea.
  • Latin American Drug Trafficking Organisations: Have developed ties with politically connected facilitators in Guinea.
  • Asian Criminal Groups: Involved in the mining sector in Guinea.

Resilience

  • Government Response: The government has not prioritised addressing organised crime, resulting in officials using their status for financial gain with impunity.
  • Country Fragility: Guinea is highly fragile and vulnerable to political conflict.
  • Lack of Specialised Units: There are no specialised units in the judiciary established to counter organised crime.

Criminal Justice and Security

Judicial System

  • Corruption: The judicial system suffers from corruption, lack of transparency, and understaffing.
  • Prison Conditions: Detention centres and prisons do not meet international standards.

Law Enforcement Agencies

  • Weak and Corrupt: Law enforcement agencies are weak and corrupt.

Economic and Financial Environment

  • Poor Economic Climate: Guinea’s economic climate is poor due to a heavy investment regime, lack of regulator capacity, and corruption.
  • Constrained Access to Finance: The country has constrained access to finance, underdeveloped facilitation of trade and logistics, inflation, and poor education of the workforce.

Civil Society and Social Protection

Victim Support

  • Lack of Adequate Identification: Authorities do not adequately identify and protect human trafficking victims.
  • NGO Support: NGOs provide victim support services but face funding shortages.
  • Witness Protection Programme: There is no witness protection programme in place.

Whistle-Blowing Atmosphere

  • Hostile Environment: The whistle-blowing atmosphere is hostile, and journalists are frequently intimidated.