N. Africa seeks to thwart traffickers' money laundering

Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia are seeking to strengthen their financial investigation capacity to combat money laundering from human trafficking and migrant smuggling, as cases of these crimes continue to rise.

More than 70 representatives from law enforcement agencies, financial intelligence units, public prosecution, judiciary and financial sectors from the five countries, in addition to experts from regional and international organizations, are gathering in Egypt's Sharm el-Sheikh city for a conference on the theme.

The three-day event, which opened on Monday, seeks to discuss national experiences, challenges and best practices in countering the crimes.

Speaking at the opening session, Ahmed Said Khalil, chairman of the board of trustees of the Egyptian Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Combating Unit, termed human trafficking and migrant smuggling as the most serious crimes carried out by organized criminal groups. "Trafficking in persons is one of the most profitable organized crimes, with its activities generating substantial profits of billions of dollars," he said.

Khalil said forms of human trafficking include children and persons trafficking for the purpose of forced marriage, forced labor and organ removal.

Among the topics being discussed at the conference is the importance of financial investigations as a powerful line of investigation in human trafficking and migrant smuggling cases.

This is in addition to the value of collective efforts from different agencies in a financial investigation and insights into new and emerging payment methods and technologies.

Han-Maurits Schaapveld, the Netherlands' ambassador to Egypt, said a large number of training sessions targeting specialized practitioners from various entities in different jurisdictions and on multiple topics have been carried out since the program started in 2019.

Raising awareness

"These trainings not only develop tactical abilities of those in charge, but also raise the level of awareness among societies on the importance of confronting these two crimes and associated money laundering," he said.

The conference is organized by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, and the Regional Office for the Middle East and North Africa in partnership with the Egyptian Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Combating Unit and with the support of the Netherlands.

Political instability, conflict, poverty and climate change impact have led to an increasing number of migrants and refugees from Africa seeking economic opportunities in other parts of the world.

This has seen millions of people become victims of migrant smugglers who view them as an opportunity to make huge financial gains.

A report published in March by an independent intergovernmental body Financial Action Task Force indicated that total proceeds generated from migrant smuggling globally are projected to be more than $10 billion annually.

The main destination countries for migrants are the United States, Spain, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Sweden, Malaysia, Japan, South Korea and Australia.