International cooperation

Latin American practitioners join forces against evolving financial crime

Cryptoassets are transforming the work of investigators, prosecutors and asset recovery specialists across Latin America. At a dedicated workshop in Luxembourg, more than 30 practitioners came together to share how they are responding to the challenge – with practical solutions, strong regional leadership and a readiness to learn from one another. The workshop was co-organised by the Basel Institute on Governance and the UK National Crime Agency NCA . It was hosted by Luxembourg’s Bureau de gestion des avoirs as a side event to the 10th Global Conference on Criminal Finances and Cryptoassets. Participants came from prosecution services, police forces, financial intelligence units, supervisory authorities and the judiciary. As members of the Latin America Crypto Community of Practice, they share a determination to confront the rapid growth of cryptoassets and their exploitation by organised crime. Regional leadership in action The workshop placed the region’s own expertise at its centre. Practitioners from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Peru presented cases involving cryptoassets and asset recovery. They shared the approaches they had tested, the obstacles they had encountered and the lessons they had learned. The discussions reflected the tremendous effort taking place across Latin America. Practitioners are tackling complex technical, legal and operational questions, often while the risks, technologies and criminal methods continue to evolve. Maria Cordeiro, Senior Specialist, Asset Recovery at the Basel Institute and coordinator of the Latin America Crypto Community of Practice, said: The commitment and creativity of practitioners across Latin America are remarkable. They are not waiting for perfect laws, unlimited resources or ready-made solutions. They are getting to grips with difficult cases, testing practical approaches and helping one another move forward. That passion and leadership are exactly what this community is designed to support. Working through shared challenges Participants worked together on practical challenges related to the seizure, confiscation, custody, management and sale of cryptoassets. The discussions were frank and focused on finding workable solutions. Held in Spanish and under the Chatham House rule, the workshop provided a trusted space in which practitioners could speak openly and learn from their peers. The group also explored ways to strengthen cooperation against organised crime, illicit trafficking and other threats involving cryptoassets. These crimes operate across borders, making strong professional relationships and rapid information exchange essential. The workshop was opened by Oscar Solórzano, Director for Latin America at the Basel Institute’s International Centre for Asset Recovery. Perla, a subject matter expert from the UK National Crime Agency NCA , co-moderated the session. Partnerships and looking forward We thank the NCA for co-organising the workshop under its Illicit Finance programme in Latin America and the Luxembourg Bureau de gestion des avoirs for hosting it so generously. We are also grateful to the NCA, the US Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs INL in Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico and Peru, and the International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance Program ICITAP in Colombia for funding the participation of practitioners in the workshop and the Global Conference. We also thank current sponsors of our Latin America Crypto Community of Practice for their support for this practitioner-led exchange: Kodex, Asset Reality, Tradias, VerifyVASP, Inca Digital, Coinbase, TRM Labs and CAT Labs. The workshop showed the value of bringing committed practitioners together around real cases and shared challenges. Discussions are already underway about a dedicated Latin America Crypto & Asset Recovery Conference in 2027.

African expertise takes centre stage at crypto and asset recovery workshop

Around 40 public-sector practitioners gathered in Luxembourg on 17 September 2026 for the Africa Crypto & Asset Recovery Workshop. The event put African experience, innovation and talent at the heart of discussions on cryptoasset investigations and asset recovery. Held as a side event to the 10th Global Conference on Criminal Finances and Cryptoassets, the workshop brought together specialists from financial intelligence units, law enforcement agencies, prosecution authorities, regulators and asset recovery bodies. Participants represented more than 15 African countries. The Basel Institute on Governance co-organised the workshop with the SecFin Africa. It was hosted by Luxembourg’s Bureau de gestion des avoirs. Learning from African experience The workshop was designed around peer learning. Practitioners from Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and South Africa presented real cases to their regional peers. They spoke openly about the obstacles they had encountered and the practical approaches they had developed to overcome them. The workshop took place under the Chatham House rule. Participation was restricted to public-sector officials to provide a safe space for candid discussion, questions and learning. This practitioner-led approach is central to the Africa Crypto & Asset Recovery Network. The Network recognises that valuable expertise and creative solutions already exist across the continent. Its role is to help practitioners share this knowledge, learn from one another and build trusted relationships across institutions and borders. As H.E. Ambassador Mary Chirwa, Ambassador of Zambia to the Benelux countries, said in her closing remarks at the main conference: I can speak for Africa: it may not have the same resources as other regions, but it has large, young and technologically astute populations – quick to embrace new technologies, question established approaches and find imaginative solutions. Practical tools and international cooperation The workshop also introduced practical tools that can support investigations and asset recovery. - Alexandru Donciu, Virtual Assets Specialist at the Basel Institute, demonstrated free and open-source tools for conducting on-chain investigations. - A representative of the French Gendarmerie and France’s Agency for the Management and Recovery of Seized and Confiscated Assets AGRASC presented ASAC. The application guides magistrates and investigators through procedures for tracing, seizing and confiscating criminal assets. - A Europol representative illuminated the work and approach of the European Financial and Economic Crime Centre and its collaborations with global law enforcement partners. The contributions from international partners highlighted the importance of connecting strong regional networks across continents. Cryptoassets move globally and effective investigations depend on cooperation that does the same. Connections that last beyond Luxembourg Many of the participants also attended the main Global Conference on 15–16 September. This gave the large African delegation opportunities to exchange experience with hundreds of peers from law enforcement, policymaking, research and the private sector. These face-to-face connections matter. They build the trust that makes it easier to pick up the phone when an urgent cross-border case arises. Our sincere thanks go to SecFin Africa and to the workshop’s co-moderators, Philippe Pacaud, Operational Coordinator at SecFin Africa, and Simon Marsh, Head of Africa at the Basel Institute’s International Centre for Asset Recovery. SecFin Africa is funded by the European Union, France and Germany. We also gratefully acknowledge the organisations supporting the Africa Crypto & Asset Recovery Network: Kodex, Asset Reality, Tradias, VerifyVASP, Coinbase, TRM Labs, CAT Labs and iSanctuary. Their support helps make this public-sector community and its activities possible while preserving a trusted and product-free space for practitioner exchange. The enthusiasm in Luxembourg also raised an exciting possibility: a dedicated Africa Crypto & Asset Recovery Conference in 2027. Watch this space.

New tools and partnerships strengthen the response to criminal use of cryptoassets

Criminal use of cryptoassets is spreading across the threat landscape as these technologies become more accessible and integrated into global financial systems. But this pressure is also accelerating innovation and collaboration among those fighting back – across law enforcement, industry, research and policy. The strength of that combined response was on show at the 10th Global Conference on Criminal Finances and Cryptoassets on 15–16 September 2026. Co-organised by Europol, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime UNODC and the Basel Institute on Governance and hosted this year by Luxembourg’s Bureau de gestion des avoirs BGA , the conference brought 450 specialists from nearly 90 jurisdictions to the European Convention Center Luxembourg. More than 2,000 people registered online. Iker Lekuona, Director of the Basel Institute’s International Centre for Asset Recovery and co-chair of the conference’s first day, said: We are proud to help bring together such an impressive community of experienced and emerging experts from the public and private sectors, representing so many countries and backgrounds. The energy was palpable. It will help spread and scale the effective tools and approaches shared here, and drive progress on common standards and innovative models of law enforcement and public-private cooperation. Innovation on show Cases presented at the conference illustrated how cryptoassets now feature in cyber attacks, sanctions evasion, terrorist financing, sabotage and political interference. Other sessions exposed the human cost of scams, trafficking and “wrench attacks”, in which criminals use violence to force cryptoasset transfers. Yet the sessions also showcased new ways in which authorities and their partners are responding. The hybrid conference – with the second day reserved for public authorities – showcased: - Advanced tools and techniques for identifying, tracing and seizing illicit cryptoassets, and for dismantling the criminal and money laundering networks behind them. - Cross-border cooperation that is enabling authorities to identify, freeze and secure cryptoassets before they can be moved beyond reach. - New public-private partnerships for sharing operational intelligence on active cases, as well as strategic intelligence on emerging threats and indicators that can help others detect similar activity. - New legal powers, procedures and technologies for securing and managing seized cryptoassets and preserving their value through to final recovery and return to victims or the state. Several of these advances can benefit cases that do not involve cryptoassets. Network analysis, faster intelligence-sharing and closer coordination between investigators, prosecutors and asset recovery specialists can strengthen wider financial investigations and asset recovery efforts. Collaboration builds trust The conference also marked an important step in efforts to develop common baseline standards for blockchain intelligence. A technical breakout brought together representatives of blockchain analytics providers, law enforcement agencies and research organisations. Participants explored how common terminology, data formats and analytical approaches could make blockchain intelligence more consistent and interoperable. This matters because investigators, prosecutors, financial institutions, crypto exchanges, regulators and supervisors increasingly rely on the information these tools produce. Clearer standards can support more consistent customer due diligence and more reliable investigative leads. They can also help ensure that evidence can be explained, challenged and tested in court. A separate breakout led by the Wolfsberg Group examined common problems in suspicious transaction reporting involving cryptoassets. Financial institutions, cryptoasset service providers and public authorities discussed how to make reports more consistent, efficient and useful to investigators. The sessions demonstrated that collaboration goes beyond individual cases. It also means building shared standards and systems that can strengthen broader efforts against crimes involving crypto. On the subject of trust and collaboration, H.E. Ambassador Mary Chirwa of Zambia, added in her closing remarks: Virtual participation greatly expands access, but meeting in person remains essential to building trust. When an urgent cross-border case arises, it helps enormously if the person receiving the call is someone you have already met. Progress, but no room for complacency Significant blind spots remain. Criminal methods continue to evolve fast, regulation and enforcement remain uneven, and many authorities still lack the skills, tools or legal powers they need. But the cases presented on the conference stage and the solutions explored in its breakout rooms showed that authorities and their partners are already adapting their tools and working methods. The priority now is to scale what works: expand trusted regional and international networks, agree common standards, invest in practical capacity building and make effective models of public-private cooperation easier to replicate. About the conference The 10th Global Conference on Criminal Finances and Cryptoassets took place on 15–16 September 2026 at the European Convention Center Luxembourg and online. Three side events on 17 September deepened the practical discussions: - A hybrid Cryptoasset Management Roundtable, co-organised by Luxembourg’s BGA and the Basel Institute, brought together specialist asset management and recovery professionals to share insights and co-develop guidance on the effective management and liquidation of cryptoassets. - A workshop for African public-sector authorities saw more than 40 practitioners from 18 African countries exchanging cases, typologies and practical approaches with their peers. The workshop was a collaboration of the Basel Institute-led Africa Crypto & Asset Recovery Network and the SecFin Africa project, co-financed by the European Union. - A parallel Latin America Crypto & Asset Recovery Workshop, co-organised by the Basel Institute and the UK National Crime Agency under its Illicit Finance project, provided a similar space for around 30 practitioners from 10 countries across Latin America. Learn more - Learn more about the conference at: baselgovernance.org/10crc. - View selected recordings from the conference on the 10 Global Conference YouTube playlist. Photos: Neumann Jérôme Photography.

Enhancing cooperation in asset recovery is vital for crime prevention

This article by Iker Lekuona explains the importance of asset recovery for crime prevention and highlights three vital aspects of international cooperation in corruption and asset recovery cases: informal cooperation mechanisms, trust and technical assistance. It is republished with permission from the 6th Newsletter of the United Nations Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Programme Network of Institutes PNI . We participate in this network of 18 institutes and entities and strongly support the PNI's mission to "assist the international community in strengthening cooperation in crime prevention and criminal justice on the global, regional and sub-regional levels, within the framework of the United Nations Crime Programme." Find all newsletters and information about the PNI here. At first glance, the Kyoto Declaration’s fourth pillar may appear to combine two separate things. Why should “international cooperation” and “technical assistance” be connected? The Basel Institute’s International Centre for Asset Recovery ICAR provides technical assistance to over 18 jurisdictions across Africa, Latin America, Eastern Europe and Asia. We work hand in hand with our partner governments to strengthen the capacity of law enforcement and criminal justice systems to investigate and prosecute financial crimes and recover illicit assets. International cooperation is a vital part of the asset recovery process and of the technical assistance that we provide. The transnational, high-level cases of corruption and money laundering that we support often involve multiple jurisdictions in which criminal proceeds are sourced, transferred, laundered, hidden and spent. We see constantly that when it comes to asset recovery as a means to prevent and address corruption and other serious transnational crimes, international cooperation and technical assistance go hand in hand. Asset recovery: key to preventing crime In the eyes of the public, asset recovery is often seen through the lens of enforcement. It is linked to prosecutions and sanctions and to the desire for justice to be done. But as Article 70 of the Kyoto Declaration emphasises, asset recovery is “an important element of crime prevention… particularly in cases involving corruption”. At the Basel Institute, we see prevention and enforcement as two sides of the same coin – complementary ways to change behaviours and social norms towards integrity. For asset recovery, three areas stand out. Deterrence: Confiscating criminal assets tackles the primary incentive to engage in financial crimes: the money, which is a gateway to power and influence. When public agencies and their foreign counterparts work efficiently to investigate, confiscate and recover illicit assets, this has a strong deterrent effect. Disruption: The financial investigations at the heart of the asset recovery process are key to understanding and disrupting organised criminal networks. Techniques such as social network analysis can build on these investigations, mapping the relationships between individuals and entities involved in criminal enterprises, from wildlife trafficking to grand corruption and money laundering schemes. Trust: When citizens see that illicit assets are confiscated from corrupt individuals and high-level criminals, this helps to build trust in state institutions and to foster a more stable social environment. This effect is enhanced when recovered assets are reinvested in public goods – for example as Kenya did to pay for hospital equipment during the Covid-19 pandemic or as Zambia has done to fund university education for underprivileged students. Our technical assistance to partner governments focuses on strengthening every link in the asset recovery process or “chain” – from detection of criminal assets right through to their recovery and return. Sometimes this can go further. In Peru, assets recovered in landmark cases from Switzerland and Luxembourg are being channelled into strengthening the criminal justice system, under an ongoing tripartite agreement that ICAR facilitated. Through this approach, we see tangible impacts on the strength and functioning of criminal justice systems as a whole in our partner countries. And that can only be positive for crime prevention. Evolutions in international cooperation for asset recovery Over the nearly two decades that ICAR has been active as a specialised centre of the Basel Institute on Governance, we have seen promising evolutions in international cooperation in the context of asset recovery: 1\. Informal cooperation mechanisms and networks In line with the Kyoto Declaration’s articles 63 and 64, we have seen a blossoming of positive initiatives to boost informal cooperation between competent authorities on transnational cases of corruption and asset recovery. Such informal cooperation is vital to obtaining intelligence and building connections between counterparts from across borders. The Global Operational Network of Anti-Corruption Law Enforcement Authorities GlobE Network facilitated by UNODC is one such initiative. It eases the exchange of information between frontline anti-corruption law enforcement practitioners across the world. As an observer member, ICAR contributes its experience to the network’s growing efforts to accelerate efforts to identify, trace and confiscate the proceeds of crime. The International Anti-Corruption Coordination Centre IACCC and the Global Forum for Asset Recovery Action Series are two other initiatives that have been game changers in terms of expediting intelligence sharing and cooperation on priority cases. The first is hosted by the UK government, while the second is an initiative of ICAR and the World Bank’s StAR Initiative together with the IACCC. These mechanisms are leading to tangible results in smoothening and complementing formal mutual legal assistance processes. 2\. Trust and relationships The softer aspects of international cooperation shouldn’t be underestimated. We see daily in our work how trust and good relationships between authorities engaged in mutual legal assistance are essential to smoothen the process and lead to a successful result. This aspect was vital to achieving Colombia’s first-ever international asset return using its non-conviction based forfeiture law in 2024, of nearly half a million dollars in proceeds of drug trafficking from Guernsey. The Colombian authorities recognised ICAR’s “contribution and experience \ which\ facilitated the rapprochement and communication between the Colombian Attorney General’s Office and His Majesty’s Procureur’s Office in Guernsey.” They noted that “\ t\ his has been an excellent example of how judicial authorities can work together to ensure the recovery of the proceeds derived from criminal activities.” Trust, sustained collaboration, communication and positive relationships are also at the heart of successful asset return agreements and frameworks. One example is Jersey’s return of around USD 3.7 million in corruptly obtained funds to Kenya, in a case that had previously been stalled for a decade. Proactive informal cooperation, which ICAR helped to facilitate, was key to building trust between the parties, breaking the deadlock, finding legal solutions to recover the funds and agreeing their safe return for the benefit of Kenyan citizens. This case was the first asset return under another innovative cooperation agreement based on a sustained relationship of trust: the Framework for the Return of Assets from Corruption and Crime in Kenya FRACCK . Agreed and signed by the Governments of Kenya, Jersey, Switzerland and the UK, this was praised by UNODC’s Officer-in-Charge of the Corruption and Economic Crime Branch as being an “innovative” and “novel” approach to asset return. 3\. Building capacity among international counterparts Article 66 of the Kyoto Declaration makes it clear why it is not enough just to focus on formal and informal cooperation mechanisms, and why technical assistance is vital to the functioning of the system as a whole. States, it says, should: promote, facilitate and support the widest measures of technical assistance, including material support and training, with a view to enabling law enforcement authorities and criminal justice institutions to effectively prevent and combat crimes, taking into account the specific challenges faced by and the particular needs of developing countries. International cooperation is a two-way street. Financial centres seeking to detect and confiscate illicit assets will need information and evidence from the countries in which the crimes took place. And a lot of time can be wasted if mutual legal assistance requests are poorly drafted or not in line with the receiving state’s requirements. Yet many jurisdictions that suffer the worst effects of corruption and crime have low capacity and resources for asset recovery and for international cooperation in general. That is why it is so vital for international donors to support technical assistance programmes aimed at supporting the international cooperation process and building the capacity of counterparts in lower-resource jurisdictions. This could take the form of financial support, such as the kind provided by ICAR’s core donor group: the governments of Jersey, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland and the UK. This financial support for our hands-on mentoring and training in low-capacity jurisdictions has been vital in enabling us to remain agile and innovative, to pilot new methods before scaling them up, and to provide sustained assistance in partner countries beyond the usual short-term project lifecycle. To take just one example, our ongoing technical assistance programme in Peru has resulted in the development and implementation of a non-conviction based forfeiture law that has already led to the confiscation of millions in stolen assets domestically and internationally. Developing asset recovery communities and leaders is another area where states can provide resources and active participation as part of their efforts to promote technical assistance. Practitioner networks are vital for peer learning and to build those trust-based relationships that are so crucial to international cooperation. A standout example is the annual Global Conference on Criminal Finances and Cryptocurrencies, which we organise with Europol and which UNODC hosted this year in Vienna. Conclusion Our ICAR teams around the world see at first hand the importance of asset recovery for crime prevention, as the Kyoto Declaration emphasises. Recovering assets helps to deter corruption and criminality, disrupt criminal networks and build citizens' trust. To boost asset recovery, we need to strengthen every link in the asset recovery process or "chain", from early detection of illicit assets to their eventual recovery and return. And for that, technical assistance is vital. This article highlights three key areas of technical assistance that align with the Kyoto Declaration's spirit, ICAR's strategic approach and UN-led actions: informal information-sharing mechanisms and networks; efforts to build trust and relationships to smoothen international cooperation; and capacity building between countries. Learn more Read Working Paper 51: Good practices in asset recovery legislation in selected OSCE participating States, by Andrew Dornbierer.

Mozambique builds capacity to investigate transnational corruption and money laundering cases

A cross-agency training workshop in Mozambique has boosted the skills of anti-corruption practitioners to investigate offshore structures used to hide and launder money and to request information and evidence from abroad. The training team of the International Centre for Asset Recovery ICAR conducted the intensive workshop from 8–12 August at the Prosecutor General’s Office in the capital Maputo. Alongside public prosecutors were members of Mozambique’s Asset Recovery Office, Financial Intelligence Unit, Central and Provincial Anti-Corruption Offices, and National Criminal Investigation Service. From shell companies to international cooperation Building on two foundational training programmes in 2019 on financial investigations and asset recovery, the workshop served to deepen the expertise of participants in two challenging areas of international asset recovery: Gaining information and evidence from abroad through mutual legal assistance MLA in criminal matters. Investigating financial flows through offshore corporate structures such as shell companies and trusts. As per ICAR’s unique methodology, the participants worked in small groups to “investigate” a complex transnational corruption and money laundering case. This allowed them to put the new skills and knowledge into practice right away. For example, unravelling the beneficial ownership of assets held in an offshore shell company was needed to link criminal activity in the simulated investigation with the perpetrators and the proceeds of crime. Essential to transnational investigations Both aspects of the training – offshore structures and MLA – are essential in tackling transnational corruption and money laundering cases such as the so-called hidden debt scandal. Still ongoing, the case involves billions of dollars of undeclared loans and undue payments to foreign and national citizens, including high-ranking officials. It plunged Mozambique into a financial crisis and spilled over into multiple jurisdictions, requiring extensive international cooperation. As the Director of Mozambique’s Asset Recovery Office, Amélia Machava, said in a presentation during the week, Mozambique is not the only country to suffer challenges in obtaining international cooperation through MLA. Common obstacles include language and communication barriers, differences in legal systems, difficulties in identifying relevant contact persons, delays in obtaining a response, and claims of a “fishing expedition” where the information requested is not fully clear. Participants said the training “opened up more horizons” in terms of investigating offshore companies and trust funds, which are “not known under Mozambican law”. Others commented on the usefulness of understanding not only how MLA works but other “rapid non-formal ways to collect data to substantiate the MLA request.” Learn more See a news article about the training published by the Club of Mozambique. Learn about ICAR training programmes and download a current brochure in English, French, Portuguese and Spanish. Read Phyllis Atkinson’s quick guide to offshore structures and beneficial ownership. Take our self-paced eLearning course on International cooperation and mutual legal assistance in criminal matters, available for free on Basel LEARN with certificate of completion .

Case Study 13: The Beauty Queen case: non-conviction based forfeiture across borders

Policy Brief 16: Enforcing foreign non-conviction based forfeiture orders

Case Study 11: International cooperation in the Migori County corruption case

Recommendations of the International Cooperation for Anti-Corruption Cohort of the Summit for Democracy

Case Study 10: Using full legal means to confiscate illicit assets in a time of war