Strengthening Asset Recovery Processes in Spain

Bolivian officials have completed a valuable visit to Spain as part of an initiative aimed at supporting the fight against money laundering. The project, managed by FIIAPP, is funded by the European Union and AECID, and seeks to identify and counter strategies employed by criminal groups to launder their illicit assets.

Meetings with Key Players

During their stay in Spain, the Bolivian delegation met with key players in the country’s law enforcement agencies, including:

• National Police Force
• Civil Guard
• Customs Surveillance
• National Drug Plan, Terrorism and Organised Crime Intelligence Centre
• Executive Service of the Commission for the Prevention of Money Laundering and Monetary Offences

Learning from Experience

The meetings provided an opportunity for the Bolivian officials to learn about:

• The duties and roles of each institution
• Methods for gathering and using financial intelligence
• Mechanisms for inter-institutional coordination

Valuable Exchanges

The Bolivian delegation included officers from the Police and Financial Investigation Unit specialising in money laundering prevention and investigation. Their visit resulted in valuable exchanges with their Spanish counterparts, particularly with the executive directors of SEPBLAC Spain and the Bolivian Financial Investigation Unit (UIF).

Future Cooperation

The cooperation will lead to future support and mutual assistance between the two organisations, including:

• The signing of agreements by the Spanish Notaries Association and the UIF
• Ongoing support for skills building, investigation manuals creation, and standard protocols development
• A project to establish a Financial Intelligence Centre

Adding Value

The initiative is expected to add significant value to strengthening public policy in Bolivia’s Plurinational State, contributing to a more efficient fight against money laundering and related crimes.