FBI trains Guyanese, Caribbean law enforcers in countering financial crimes

Last Updated on Monday, 25 July 2016, 16:25 by Denis Chabrol

Guyanese law enforcement agents and their counterparts from a number of Caribbean countries are among those trained by the United States’ Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) to identify and pursue financial crimes.

The Ministry of Public Security said four FBI officers tutored the participants on a number of topics including money laundering schemes, terror financing, illicit trade-based transfer systems, charting financial data and financial profiles investigation methods.

Fully supported by the United States government, Guyanese participants were drawn from the police force’s Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU), Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU), Guyana Revenue Authority and the Guyana Defence Force.

The Financial Intelligence Training Course, which was held at the Guyana Police Force’s Training Academy on Friday, July 22, 2016, also included participants from Trinidad and Tobago and, through tele-conferencing facilities, the participation of officers from St Kitts and Jamaica.

SOCU has been pursuing several high-profile cases of alleged money laundering and gold smuggling.

The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of the Presidency, Omar Shariff was recently sent on leave to facilitate a probe into the alleged discovery of more than GYD$10 billion in deposits and transactions in several bank accounts.

A number of private business owners’ residents have also been raided in recent months, triggering condemnation by the main opposition People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPPC) and in a number of instances legal action by Attorney-at-Law Anil Nandlall.