Spain Bolsters Anti-Money Laundering Efforts with Bolivia in Crackdown on Drug Trafficking
In a significant move aimed at bolstering international cooperation and combating drug trafficking, officials from Bolivia visited Spain as part of a project funded by the European Union and AECID to tackle money laundering strategies employed by criminal groups.
Enhancing Financial Intelligence Gathering and Inter-Institutional Coordination
The initiative, managed by FIIAPP, aims to enhance the fight against these crimes through enhanced financial intelligence gathering and inter-institutional coordination. The project is designed to provide continuous support through skills-building, investigation manual creation, standard protocols development, and establishment of a Financial Intelligence Centre.
Meetings with Spanish Law Enforcement Agencies
During the visit, Bolivian officials met with major players in Spain’s law enforcement agencies, including:
- Specialist units of the National Police Force
- Civil Guard
- Customs Surveillance
- National Drug Plan (PNSD)
- Terrorism and Organised Crime Intelligence Centre (CITCO)
- Executive Service of the Commission for the Prevention of Money Laundering and Monetary Offences (SEPBLAC)
These meetings allowed Bolivian officials to gain insight into the duties and roles of each institution, as well as their financial intelligence gathering methods and investigation protocols.
Key Discussions
The discussions also touched on:
- Information exchange
- Legal frameworks for different types of asset laundering
- Management and recovery of assets linked to drug trafficking
- Prevention of money laundering through continuous information flow and risk assessment
Officers from the Bolivian Police and Financial Investigation Unit specializing in money laundering prevention and investigation participated in the visit.
Cooperation Agreements
The trip led to significant strategic meetings between SEPBLAC Spain’s executive director and Bolivia’s Financial Investigation Unit (UIF), paving the way for future support and mutual assistance. Cooperation agreements will also be signed between the Spanish Notaries Association and UIF.
Conclusion
The project enhances public policy in Bolivia’s Plurinational State, underscoring the importance of international cooperation in combating drug trafficking and money laundering. The initiative aims to strengthen international relations and combat these crimes more effectively through enhanced financial intelligence gathering and inter-institutional coordination.