[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":421},["ShallowReactive",2],{"tag-1365":3,"tag-events-1365-1":6,"tag-publications-1365-1":9,"tag-news-1365-1":11,"tag-stories-1365-1":13},{"id":4,"name":5},1365,"Technical assistance",{"items":7,"total":8},[],0,{"items":10,"total":8},[],{"items":12,"total":8},[],{"items":14,"total":56},[15,162],{"id":16,"status":17,"sort":18,"title":19,"description":20,"slug":21,"highlights":22,"region":23,"area":25,"image":28,"content":42,"tags":109,"countries":148},4,"published",null,"Building Zambia’s capacity to investigate financial crime and recover illicit assets","How the Basel Institute’s International Centre for Asset Recovery used an embedded expert model to support Zambian authorities in complex financial crime investigations and asset recovery. It is leading to tangible increases in frozen and recovered assets and in successful international cooperation.","zambia","- Embedded experts supported 31 complex corruption and financial crime cases, with an estimated asset value of CHF 640 million and tangible recovery results.\n- Transferred skills, not just knowledge, through a train-the-trainer model and multi-agency case simulations that are now institutionalised within Zambian authorities.\n- Strengthened cross-border enforcement, helping Zambia issue mutual legal assistance requests to 12 jurisdictions and cooperate internationally to freeze illicit assets.",[24],"Africa",[26,27],"Asset recovery and enforcement","Learning and training",{"id":29,"storage":30,"filename_disk":31,"filename_download":32,"title":33,"type":34,"created_on":35,"modified_on":36,"charset":18,"filesize":37,"width":38,"height":39,"duration":18,"embed":18,"description":40,"location":18,"tags":18,"metadata":41,"focal_point_x":18,"focal_point_y":18,"tus_id":18,"tus_data":18,"uploaded_on":35},"1771acba-7b15-4a82-b901-8a4139683856","local","1771acba-7b15-4a82-b901-8a4139683856.png","story_zambia.png","Story Zambia","image\u002Fpng","2026-02-28T22:17:20.000Z","2026-02-28T22:39:29.000Z",796818,902,672,"An ICAR train-the-trainer workshop in Zambia in 2024, which saw five Zambian practitioners certified to train their peers on financial investigations and asset recovery using ICAR’s training methodology.",{},[43,64,75,86,97],{"id":44,"collection":45,"sort":46,"stories_id":47,"item":60},8,"text",1,{"id":16,"status":17,"sort":18,"title":19,"image":29,"description":20,"slug":21,"highlights":22,"region":48,"area":49,"content":50,"tags":55,"countries":59},[24],[26,27],[44,51,52,53,54],9,10,11,12,[56,57,16,58],2,3,6,[46],{"id":61,"text":62,"class":18,"title":63,"anchor":18},36,"Effectively enforcing laws and recovering illicit assets is vital to mobilise resources for development and reduce reliance on aid. Strong asset recovery systems reinforce justice institutions and the rule of law, which are essential for civic trust, stability and investment. However, many countries face challenges in investigating complex financial crimes, cooperating internationally and managing seized and confiscated assets.","The situation",{"id":51,"collection":45,"sort":56,"stories_id":65,"item":71},{"id":16,"status":17,"sort":18,"title":19,"image":29,"description":20,"slug":21,"highlights":22,"region":66,"area":67,"content":68,"tags":69,"countries":70},[24],[26,27],[44,51,52,53,54],[56,57,16,58],[46],{"id":72,"text":73,"class":18,"title":74,"anchor":18},37,"Drawing on over 20 years of experience, the International Centre for Asset Recovery, a specialised centre of the Basel Institute on Governance, provided tailored technical assistance to Zambian authorities through an embedded expert model.\n\nWorking closely with investigators and prosecutors from the Anti-Corruption Commission, Drug Enforcement Commission and National Prosecution Authority, our experts combined in-person mentoring on complex, high-value cases with targeted training and guidance on legal and institutional reforms. In 2024, our Zambia-based team supported 31 corruption and financial crime cases with an estimated asset value of CHF 640 million.","What we did",{"id":52,"collection":45,"sort":57,"stories_id":76,"item":82},{"id":16,"status":17,"sort":18,"title":19,"image":29,"description":20,"slug":21,"highlights":22,"region":77,"area":78,"content":79,"tags":80,"countries":81},[24],[26,27],[44,51,52,53,54],[56,57,16,58],[46],{"id":83,"text":84,"class":18,"title":85,"anchor":18},38,"Step by step, Zambia is strengthening its ability to investigate financial crime and recover illicit assets.\n- **Building sustainable skills:** Through a train-the-trainer programme initiated in 2024, five officers from different agencies are on track to be certified to deliver ICAR’s financial investigations and asset recovery training. Nearly 130 frontline officers participated in multi-agency workshops using simulated cases tailored to the Zambian context. The Anti-Corruption Commission also integrated ICAR eLearning into its induction programme; 50 officers completed this training in 2024 and registered Zambian users on our online learning platform Basel LEARN rose to over 500.\n- **Recovering and freezing assets:** By the end of 2024, our case support assisted Zambia to recover around CHF 30 million, confiscate additional property including farmland, hotels, residential buildings, a commercial complex and 37 vehicles, and freeze a further CHF 24 million in property and cash.\n- **Strengthening international cooperation:** Zambia is engaging productively with international financial centres for the first time. In 2024, authorities sent 16 mutual legal assistance requests to 12 jurisdictions and cooperated on parallel investigations with two jurisdictions. Over CHF 14 million has been frozen in Jersey and Switzerland.\n","The impact",{"id":53,"collection":45,"sort":16,"stories_id":87,"item":93},{"id":16,"status":17,"sort":18,"title":19,"image":29,"description":20,"slug":21,"highlights":22,"region":88,"area":89,"content":90,"tags":91,"countries":92},[24],[26,27],[44,51,52,53,54],[56,57,16,58],[46],{"id":94,"text":95,"class":18,"title":96,"anchor":18},39,"Alongside casework, ICAR experts contributed to updated legislation and institutional reforms to improve mutual legal assistance and international cooperation. They also supported the development of a national policy on asset recovery and asset management and helped formalise multi-agency cooperation through a legal framework for an inter-agency asset recovery and management unit. \nICAR provides this type of targeted, case-based technical assistance on asset recovery to more than 40 government agencies across four continents.\n","Wider context",{"id":54,"collection":98,"sort":99,"stories_id":100,"item":106},"quote",5,{"id":16,"status":17,"sort":18,"title":19,"image":29,"description":20,"slug":21,"highlights":22,"region":101,"area":102,"content":103,"tags":104,"countries":105},[24],[26,27],[44,51,52,53,54],[56,57,16,58],[46],{"id":46,"quote":107,"author":108},"We value the partnership we continue to enjoy with you. We have seen the effects of your efforts. You are the real deal.","Gilbert Phiri, Director of Public Prosecutions, Zambia",[110,120,130,138],{"id":56,"stories_id":111,"tags_id":117},{"id":16,"status":17,"sort":18,"title":19,"image":29,"description":20,"slug":21,"highlights":22,"region":112,"area":113,"content":114,"tags":115,"countries":116},[24],[26,27],[44,51,52,53,54],[56,57,16,58],[46],{"id":118,"name":119},843,"Asset recovery",{"id":57,"stories_id":121,"tags_id":127},{"id":16,"status":17,"sort":18,"title":19,"image":29,"description":20,"slug":21,"highlights":22,"region":122,"area":123,"content":124,"tags":125,"countries":126},[24],[26,27],[44,51,52,53,54],[56,57,16,58],[46],{"id":128,"name":129},1372,"Training",{"id":16,"stories_id":131,"tags_id":137},{"id":16,"status":17,"sort":18,"title":19,"image":29,"description":20,"slug":21,"highlights":22,"region":132,"area":133,"content":134,"tags":135,"countries":136},[24],[26,27],[44,51,52,53,54],[56,57,16,58],[46],{"id":4,"name":5},{"id":58,"stories_id":139,"tags_id":145},{"id":16,"status":17,"sort":18,"title":19,"image":29,"description":20,"slug":21,"highlights":22,"region":140,"area":141,"content":142,"tags":143,"countries":144},[24],[26,27],[44,51,52,53,54],[56,57,16,58],[46],{"id":146,"name":147},1371,"Public governance",[149],{"id":46,"stories_id":150,"countries_id":156},{"id":16,"status":17,"sort":18,"title":19,"image":29,"description":20,"slug":21,"highlights":22,"region":151,"area":152,"content":153,"tags":154,"countries":155},[24],[26,27],[44,51,52,53,54],[56,57,16,58],[46],{"id":157,"name":158,"code":159,"latitude":160,"longitude":161},244,"Zambia","ZM",-13.1339,27.84933,{"id":52,"status":17,"sort":18,"title":163,"description":164,"slug":165,"highlights":166,"region":167,"area":169,"image":171,"content":184,"tags":274,"countries":381},"Joint Investigation Teams: modernising cross-border investigations into corruption and organised crime","How the Basel Institute on Governance is helping partner countries to develop and implement Joint Investigation Teams to tackle complex cases that cross national borders, including environmental crime investigations.","jit","- **Faster, more coordinated investigations:** Supporting partner countries to establish Joint Investigation Teams (JITs) that enable authorities to share evidence directly and coordinate investigative action across borders.\n- **A landmark wildlife trafficking investigation:** In 2025, prosecutorial authorities in Peru, Panama and Ecuador established Latin America’s first Joint Investigation Team on wildlife trafficking to investigate a shark fin trafficking network spanning multiple jurisdictions. \n- **Stronger international enforcement:** Helping partner countries overcome legal and operational obstacles through expert support, trusted relationships and practical frameworks for coordinated action.",[168],"Latin America Caribbean",[26,170],"Green Corruption",{"id":172,"storage":30,"filename_disk":173,"filename_download":174,"title":175,"type":34,"created_on":176,"modified_on":177,"charset":18,"filesize":178,"width":179,"height":180,"duration":18,"embed":18,"description":181,"location":18,"tags":18,"metadata":182,"focal_point_x":18,"focal_point_y":18,"tus_id":18,"tus_data":18,"uploaded_on":183},"c8f2a876-6cba-49e0-a2dc-c95947e10441","c8f2a876-6cba-49e0-a2dc-c95947e10441.png","17 Joint Investigation Teams.png","17 Joint Investigation Teams","2026-05-25T17:57:08.000Z","2026-05-29T21:39:27.000Z",2446420,1536,1024,"Connecting authorities in Peru, Ecuador and Panama to tackle a cross-border case of shark fin trafficking. Image generated using AI.",{},"2026-05-25T17:57:11.000Z",[185,212,223,233,243,253,263],{"id":94,"collection":45,"sort":46,"stories_id":186,"item":209},{"id":52,"status":17,"sort":18,"title":163,"image":172,"description":164,"slug":165,"highlights":166,"region":187,"area":188,"content":189,"tags":196,"countries":208},[168],[26,170],[94,190,191,192,193,194,195],40,41,48,42,49,43,[197,198,199,200,201,202,203,204,205,206,207],17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27,[51,52,53],{"id":210,"text":211,"class":18,"title":63,"anchor":18},78,"Corruption and organised crime increasingly operate across borders. Criminal networks move money, assets and illicit goods between jurisdictions while investigators navigate fragmented legal systems and cooperation processes that can struggle to keep pace.\n\nJoint Investigation Teams help address these issues by allowing authorities to work together in real time. They can also strengthen asset recovery efforts by helping authorities to target the profits that sustain organised criminal networks in a more coordinated and comprehensive way.",{"id":190,"collection":213,"sort":56,"stories_id":214,"item":220},"box",{"id":52,"status":17,"sort":18,"title":163,"image":172,"description":164,"slug":165,"highlights":166,"region":215,"area":216,"content":217,"tags":218,"countries":219},[168],[26,170],[94,190,191,192,193,194,195],[197,198,199,200,201,202,203,204,205,206,207],[51,52,53],{"id":58,"title":221,"text":222},"Key term","**Joint Investigation Team:** A formal cooperation mechanism that allows prosecutors and investigators from different countries to work together on a shared cross-border case. They enable direct evidence sharing, coordinated investigative action and faster cooperation while respecting national laws and sovereignty.\n",{"id":191,"collection":45,"sort":57,"stories_id":224,"item":230},{"id":52,"status":17,"sort":18,"title":163,"image":172,"description":164,"slug":165,"highlights":166,"region":225,"area":226,"content":227,"tags":228,"countries":229},[168],[26,170],[94,190,191,192,193,194,195],[197,198,199,200,201,202,203,204,205,206,207],[51,52,53],{"id":231,"text":232,"class":18,"title":74,"anchor":18},79,"Through our International Centre for Asset Recovery (ICAR) and Green Corruption programme, the Basel Institute is promoting the development and implementation of Joint Investigation Teams with partner countries tackling cross-border corruption and organised crime.\n\nSupport combines technical expertise with practical assistance: helping authorities build trust across jurisdictions, strengthening cooperation frameworks and supporting the design and operationalisation of these mechanisms.\n\nOne example comes from Latin America. In 2025, prosecutorial authorities in Peru, Panama and Ecuador established the first Joint Investigation Team on wildlife trafficking in Latin America to investigate a shark fin trafficking network spanning the countries’ borders. \n",{"id":192,"collection":98,"sort":16,"stories_id":234,"item":240},{"id":52,"status":17,"sort":18,"title":163,"image":172,"description":164,"slug":165,"highlights":166,"region":235,"area":236,"content":237,"tags":238,"countries":239},[168],[26,170],[94,190,191,192,193,194,195],[197,198,199,200,201,202,203,204,205,206,207],[51,52,53],{"id":201,"quote":241,"author":242},"This significant milestone was achieved with the sustained support of the Basel Institute on Governance, whose assistance was instrumental from the initial engagement, through the facilitation of in-person trust-building exchanges among prosecutors, to the design, formalisation and operationalisation of the agreement.","Sebastián Aguilar J., Directorate of Cooperation and International Affairs, Office of the Attorney General of Ecuador",{"id":193,"collection":45,"sort":99,"stories_id":244,"item":250},{"id":52,"status":17,"sort":18,"title":163,"image":172,"description":164,"slug":165,"highlights":166,"region":245,"area":246,"content":247,"tags":248,"countries":249},[168],[26,170],[94,190,191,192,193,194,195],[197,198,199,200,201,202,203,204,205,206,207],[51,52,53],{"id":251,"text":252,"class":18,"title":85,"anchor":18},80,"The Peru–Panama–Ecuador agreement established a framework for direct information exchange, coordinated investigative strategies and joint prosecutorial action across borders. It also created an important regional precedent, by showing how countries can work collectively against organised criminal networks operating across jurisdictions. \n\nThe wildlife trafficking case is one example of a broader effort. The Basel Institute is supporting partners to use Joint Investigation Teams in other cross-border cases, such as corruption or – in the case referred to below – illegal mining: ",{"id":194,"collection":98,"sort":58,"stories_id":254,"item":260},{"id":52,"status":17,"sort":18,"title":163,"image":172,"description":164,"slug":165,"highlights":166,"region":255,"area":256,"content":257,"tags":258,"countries":259},[168],[26,170],[94,190,191,192,193,194,195],[197,198,199,200,201,202,203,204,205,206,207],[51,52,53],{"id":202,"quote":261,"author":262},"ICAR’s support has been essential in strengthening our capacity to combat organised crime in Peru. With their guidance, our office has successfully launched one of the country’s first Joint Investigation Teams, marking a significant step forward in cross-border cooperation. What I particularly value is the daily, dedicated technical assistance provided by ICAR’s experts, which has not only supported our work on cases but has also improved our institutional capabilities.","Mayda Virginia Mori Anto, Chief Provincial Prosecutor, Second Supraprovincial Specialized Prosecutor's Office for Organised Crime of Peru",{"id":195,"collection":45,"sort":264,"stories_id":265,"item":271},7,{"id":52,"status":17,"sort":18,"title":163,"image":172,"description":164,"slug":165,"highlights":166,"region":266,"area":267,"content":268,"tags":269,"countries":270},[168],[26,170],[94,190,191,192,193,194,195],[197,198,199,200,201,202,203,204,205,206,207],[51,52,53],{"id":272,"text":273,"class":18,"title":96,"anchor":18},81,"Joint Investigation Teams remain underused in many regions affected by corruption and organised crime. Through our specialised ICAR and Green Corruption teams, and our relationships with prosecutorial authorities in multiple countries, the Basel Institute is helping partners turn the concept into practice: building trusted coalitions and strengthening international cooperation against crimes that increasingly cross borders.",[275,285,295,303,313,323,333,343,353,363,371],{"id":197,"stories_id":276,"tags_id":282},{"id":52,"status":17,"sort":18,"title":163,"image":172,"description":164,"slug":165,"highlights":166,"region":277,"area":278,"content":279,"tags":280,"countries":281},[168],[26,170],[94,190,191,192,193,194,195],[197,198,199,200,201,202,203,204,205,206,207],[51,52,53],{"id":283,"name":284},804,"Natural 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cooperation",{"id":199,"stories_id":296,"tags_id":302},{"id":52,"status":17,"sort":18,"title":163,"image":172,"description":164,"slug":165,"highlights":166,"region":297,"area":298,"content":299,"tags":300,"countries":301},[168],[26,170],[94,190,191,192,193,194,195],[197,198,199,200,201,202,203,204,205,206,207],[51,52,53],{"id":118,"name":119},{"id":200,"stories_id":304,"tags_id":310},{"id":52,"status":17,"sort":18,"title":163,"image":172,"description":164,"slug":165,"highlights":166,"region":305,"area":306,"content":307,"tags":308,"countries":309},[168],[26,170],[94,190,191,192,193,194,195],[197,198,199,200,201,202,203,204,205,206,207],[51,52,53],{"id":311,"name":312},867,"Financial crime",{"id":201,"stories_id":314,"tags_id":320},{"id":52,"status":17,"sort":18,"title":163,"image":172,"description":164,"slug":165,"highlights":166,"region":315,"area":316,"content":317,"tags":318,"countries":319},[168],[26,170],[94,190,191,192,193,194,195],[197,198,199,200,201,202,203,204,205,206,207],[51,52,53],{"id":321,"name":322},967,"Organised crime",{"id":202,"stories_id":324,"tags_id":330},{"id":52,"status":17,"sort":18,"title":163,"image":172,"description":164,"slug":165,"highlights":166,"region":325,"area":326,"content":327,"tags":328,"countries":329},[168],[26,170],[94,190,191,192,193,194,195],[197,198,199,200,201,202,203,204,205,206,207],[51,52,53],{"id":331,"name":332},973,"Corruption",{"id":203,"stories_id":334,"tags_id":340},{"id":52,"status":17,"sort":18,"title":163,"image":172,"description":164,"slug":165,"highlights":166,"region":335,"area":336,"content":337,"tags":338,"countries":339},[168],[26,170],[94,190,191,192,193,194,195],[197,198,199,200,201,202,203,204,205,206,207],[51,52,53],{"id":341,"name":342},1193,"Financial investigations",{"id":204,"stories_id":344,"tags_id":350},{"id":52,"status":17,"sort":18,"title":163,"image":172,"description":164,"slug":165,"highlights":166,"region":345,"area":346,"content":347,"tags":348,"countries":349},[168],[26,170],[94,190,191,192,193,194,195],[197,198,199,200,201,202,203,204,205,206,207],[51,52,53],{"id":351,"name":352},1215,"Illicit financial flows",{"id":205,"stories_id":354,"tags_id":360},{"id":52,"status":17,"sort":18,"title":163,"image":172,"description":164,"slug":165,"highlights":166,"region":355,"area":356,"content":357,"tags":358,"countries":359},[168],[26,170],[94,190,191,192,193,194,195],[197,198,199,200,201,202,203,204,205,206,207],[51,52,53],{"id":361,"name":362},1303,"Environment",{"id":206,"stories_id":364,"tags_id":370},{"id":52,"status":17,"sort":18,"title":163,"image":172,"description":164,"slug":165,"highlights":166,"region":365,"area":366,"content":367,"tags":368,"countries":369},[168],[26,170],[94,190,191,192,193,194,195],[197,198,199,200,201,202,203,204,205,206,207],[51,52,53],{"id":4,"name":5},{"id":207,"stories_id":372,"tags_id":378},{"id":52,"status":17,"sort":18,"title":163,"image":172,"description":164,"slug":165,"highlights":166,"region":373,"area":374,"content":375,"tags":376,"countries":377},[168],[26,170],[94,190,191,192,193,194,195],[197,198,199,200,201,202,203,204,205,206,207],[51,52,53],{"id":379,"name":380},1374,"Law 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