[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":1610},["ShallowReactive",2],{"tag-822":3,"tag-events-822-1":6,"tag-publications-822-1":9,"tag-news-822-1":714,"tag-stories-822-1":1226},{"id":4,"name":5},822,"International cooperation",{"items":7,"total":8},[],0,{"items":10,"total":713},[11,245,369,494,583],{"id":12,"status":13,"sort":14,"date_created":15,"date_updated":16,"nid":17,"slug":18,"title":19,"body":20,"citation":21,"language":14,"year":22,"publisher":23,"date_published":24,"external":25,"topic":14,"link_internal":26,"link_external":33,"featured":25,"topics":40,"languages":42,"type":44,"area":14,"programme":14,"websites":14,"summary":14,"pdf_text":14,"main_points":46,"short_version":14,"subtitle":47,"image":48,"countries":60,"tags":93,"pdf":182,"authors":207},2441,"published",null,"2026-06-01T22:10:26.000Z","2026-06-02T14:22:13.000Z",2937,"cs-13","Case Study 13: The Beauty Queen case: non-conviction based forfeiture across borders","This Case Study analyses how Colombian authorities recovered assets linked to drug trafficking and held in a trust in Guernsey. It sets out the legal tools and procedures in Colombia and in Guernsey that enabled Colombia’s first international recovery under its non-conviction based forfeiture model _Extinción de dominio_. The Case Study highlights lessons for international cooperation between jurisdictions with different forfeiture systems or even legal traditions.\n\nThe International Centre for Asset Recovery (ICAR) at the Basel Institute on Governance provided technical assistance as part of a Memorandum of Understanding with the General Prosecutor’s Office of Colombia.\n\n[**Download Case Study here**](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fsites\u002Fdefault\u002Ffiles\u002F2026-05\u002FCase-Study-13_Beauty-Queen.pdf)\n\nOn 30 November 2023, the Fourth Court of the Specialised Extinción de Dominio Circuit of Colombia ordered the non-conviction based forfeiture of a Guernsey trust account issued by Northern Trust Fiduciary Services (Guernsey) Limited. The beneficiary was María Marcela Serrano Camacho, a Colombian model and former beauty queen.\n\nThe Colombian forfeiture order extinguished property rights over the account – amounting to GBP 361,146 – on the grounds that the funds were the proceeds of drug trafficking offences committed by Efraín Antonio Hernández Ramírez (“Don Efra”), a well-known Colombian drug trafficker, and his former spouse María Serrano in the 1990s.\n\nOn 30 January 2025, following successful mutual legal assistance proceedings between Colombia and the Bailiwick of Guernsey, the two jurisdictions concluded an asset sharing agreement for the repatriation of the confiscated assets.\n\nThis marked Colombia’s first successful international recovery through non-conviction based forfeiture.\n\nThis Case Study examines how early and effective coordination between Colombia and Guernsey enabled the identification, freezing, forfeiture and repatriation of the assets. It analyses the legal framework underpinning Colombia's Extinción de dominio regime and how it was applied, leading to the forfeiture of the Guernsey acccount. It also describes the procedural mechanisms used in Guernsey to execute foreign non-conviction based forfeiture orders.\n\nThe interaction between the authorities in both jurisdictions offers valuable lessons and examples of good practices.\n\n**Main takeaways of the case:**\n\n- Early and trust-based international cooperation is decisive\n- Non-conviction based forfeiture is indispensable when criminal routes are closed\n- Identifying beneficial ownership is central to effective asset recovery\n- Direct enforcement of foreign forfeiture orders increases efficiency and legal certainty\n- Asset sharing agreements strengthen cooperation incentives\n\nThe Case Study can be read alongside [Policy Brief 16](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fpublications\u002Fpb-16): \"Enforcing foreign non-conviction based forfeiture orders: FATF standards and asset recovery practice in Latin America and financial centres\".\n\n### About this Case Study\n\nThis publication is part of the Basel Institute on Governance Case Study series, [ISSN 2813-3900](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fcase-studies). It is licensed for sharing under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License ([CC BYNC-ND 4.0](https:\u002F\u002Fcreativecommons.org\u002Flicenses\u002Fby-nc-nd\u002F4.0\u002F)).\n\nThe Case Study series offers practitioners insights into interesting and precedent-setting cases involving corruption and asset recovery.\n\nThis is a publication of the International Centre for Asset Recovery (ICAR) at the Basel Institute on Governance. ICAR receives core funding from the Governments of Jersey, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland and the UK.\n\n**Disclaimer**: This Case Study is intended for general informational purposes and does not constitute and\u002For substitute legal or other professional advice. The contents are the sole responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views or the official position of the Basel Institute on Governance, its donors and partners, or the University of Basel.\n","Solórzano, Oscar, and Diana Cordero. 2026. ‘The Beauty Queen case: non-conviction based forfeiture of criminal assets across borders. Lessons learned from Colombia–Guernsey cooperation.’ Case Study 13, Basel Institute on Governance. Available at: [baselgovernance.org\u002Fpublications\u002Fcs-13](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fpublications\u002Fcs-13).",2026,"Basel Institute on Governance","2026-03-31",false,[27,30],{"url":28,"caption":29},"\u002Fresources\u002Fnews\u002Fcolombiaguernsey-cooperation-leads-to-successful-non-conviction-based-forfeiture-of-illicit-assets-2716","Read related blog",{"url":31,"caption":32},"\u002Fresources\u002Fpublications","Read related Policy Brief 16",[34,37],{"url":35,"caption":36},"https:\u002F\u002Flearn.baselgovernance.org\u002Fcourse\u002Fview.php?id=368","View online on Basel LEARN",{"url":38,"caption":39},"https:\u002F\u002Flearn.baselgovernance.org\u002Fcourse\u002Fview.php?id=72","eLearning course: International Cooperation and Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters",[41],"Asset Recovery and Enforcement",[43],"English",[45],"Case Study","- Early and trust-based international cooperation is decisive\n- Non-conviction based forfeiture is indispensable when 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Solorzano","bb78436c-969e-40ca-9f3e-5e37ec0a95f9",{"id":86,"publications_id":228,"authors_id":242},{"id":12,"status":13,"sort":14,"user_created":64,"date_created":15,"user_updated":65,"date_updated":16,"nid":17,"slug":18,"image":49,"title":19,"body":20,"citation":21,"language":14,"year":22,"publisher":23,"date_published":24,"external":25,"topic":14,"link_internal":229,"link_external":232,"featured":25,"topics":235,"languages":236,"type":237,"area":14,"programme":14,"websites":14,"summary":14,"pdf_text":14,"main_points":46,"short_version":14,"subtitle":47,"countries":238,"tags":239,"pdf":240,"authors":241},[230,231],{"url":28,"caption":29},{"url":31,"caption":32},[233,234],{"url":35,"caption":36},{"url":38,"caption":39},[41],[43],[45],[62],[77,78,79,80,81],[83],[85,86],{"id":243,"name":244,"position":14,"image":14},591,"Diana Cordero",{"id":246,"status":13,"sort":14,"date_created":15,"date_updated":247,"nid":248,"slug":249,"title":250,"body":251,"citation":14,"language":14,"year":22,"publisher":23,"date_published":24,"external":25,"topic":14,"link_internal":252,"link_external":255,"featured":25,"topics":257,"languages":258,"type":259,"area":14,"programme":14,"websites":14,"summary":14,"pdf_text":14,"main_points":14,"short_version":14,"subtitle":261,"image":262,"countries":270,"tags":271,"pdf":334,"authors":354},2442,"2026-06-02T14:16:22.000Z",2947,"pb-16","Policy Brief 16: Enforcing foreign non-conviction based forfeiture orders","This Policy Brief analyses emerging international standards aimed at addressing recurring challenges in judicial practice with regard to the enforcement of non-conviction based forfeiture orders issued by foreign states. It focuses in particular on the historical absence of a binding obligation on requested states to cooperate in such cases and, where cooperation is available, on the structural tension between direct and indirect enforcement models.\n\n[**Download Policy Brief here**](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fsites\u002Fdefault\u002Ffiles\u002F2026-03\u002FPolicy-Brief-16_Enforcing-foreign-NCBF-orders.pdf)\n\nRevisions in 2023 to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Recommendations 4 and 38 seek to clarify and strengthen states’ cooperation in the enforcement of foreign forfeiture orders. In this context, the recognition and execution of foreign non-conviction based forfeiture orders are central components of the evolving international asset recovery framework.\n\nThrough analysis and case studies involving Latin American states and international financial centres, this Policy Brief demonstrates that the choice of procedural model for enforcing foreign forfeiture orders – direct or indirect – has significant implications, while acknowledging the competing legal and institutional interests involved.\n\nIn line with FATF Recommendation 38, the Policy Brief argues in favour of direct enforcement in the requested state, based on the facts established by the foreign authority. This promotes efficiency, legal certainty and mutual trust. Indirect enforcement models that may require domestic investigations by the requested state, on the other hand, often lead to delays, duplication and increased costs, which hinders international asset recovery efforts.\n\nThe analysis provides empirical insight into how the revised FATF standards address practical deficiencies and the implications for judicial practice in requested states. For the Latin American context, the Policy Brief suggests to go beyond technical compliance of domestic non-conviction based forfeiture regimes with the FATF standards to strengthen the effectiveness of cross-border enforcement in practice.\n\nThis Policy Brief can be read alongside [Case Study 13](http:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fpublications\u002Fcs-13): “The Beauty Queen case: non-conviction based forfeiture across borders. Lessons learned from Colombia–Guernsey cooperation.”\n\n### About this Policy Brief\n\nThis publication is part of the Basel Institute on Governance Policy Brief series [ISSN 2624-9669](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fpublications?type\\[]=257). You may freely share or republish it under a Creative Commons [BY-NC-ND 4.0](https:\u002F\u002Fcreativecommons.org\u002Flicenses\u002Fby-nc-nd\u002F4.0\u002F) licence.\n\nIt is a publication of the International Centre for Asset Recovery (ICAR) at the Basel Institute on Governance. ICAR receives core funding from the Governments of Jersey, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland and the UK.\n\n**Disclaimer**: This Policy Brief is intended for general informational purposes and does not constitute and\u002For substitute legal or other professional advice. The contents are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official position of the Basel Institute on Governance, its donors and partners, or the University of Basel.\n\n**Suggested citation**: Solórzano, Oscar. 2026. \"Enforcing foreign non-conviction based forfeiture orders: FATF standards and asset recovery practice in Latin America and financial centres.\" Policy Brief 16, Basel Institute on Governance. Available at: [baselgovernance.org\u002Fpublications\u002Fpb-16](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fpublications\u002Fpb-16).",[253],{"url":31,"caption":254},"Read related Case Study 13",[256],{"url":38,"caption":39},[41],[43],[260],"Policy Brief","FATF standards and asset recovery practice in Latin America and financial centres",{"id":263,"storage":50,"filename_disk":264,"filename_download":265,"title":266,"type":54,"created_on":267,"modified_on":267,"charset":14,"filesize":268,"width":57,"height":58,"duration":14,"embed":14,"description":14,"location":14,"tags":14,"metadata":269,"focal_point_x":14,"focal_point_y":14,"tus_id":14,"tus_data":14,"uploaded_on":267},"f866220c-dddd-41b3-a45e-c2d7992d39e1","f866220c-dddd-41b3-a45e-c2d7992d39e1.jpg","Policy-Brief-16_Enforcing-foreign-NCBF-orders_Cover.jpg","Policy Brief 16_Enforcing foreign non-conviction based confiscation 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cooperation in the Migori County corruption case","This Case Study describes how Kenya obtained crucial overseas intelligence in a corruption case through the International Anti-Corruption Coordination Centre, leading to the recovery of USD 1.8 million in assets for the Kenyan people.\n\n### About this Case Study\n\nThis publication is part of the Basel Institute on Governance Case Study series, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fcase-studies\">ISSN 2813-3900\u003C\u002Fa>. It is licensed for sharing under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcreativecommons.org\u002Flicenses\u002Fby-nc-nd\u002F4.0\u002F\">CC BY-NC-ND 4.0\u003C\u002Fa>).\n\nIt is a publication of the International Centre for Asset Recovery (ICAR) at the Basel Institute on Governance. ICAR receives core funding from the Governments of Jersey, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland and the UK.\n\nWhile we have made reasonable efforts to ensure the accuracy of information provided in this Case Study, neither the authors nor the Basel Institute’s donors and partners assume any responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions.","Basel Institute on Governance, Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (Kenya) and International Anti-Corruption Coordination Centre. 2025. “International cooperation in the Migori County corruption case.” Case Study 11, Basel Institute on Governance. Available at: \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fpublications\u002Fcs-11\">baselgovernance.org\u002Fpublications\u002Fcs-11\u003C\u002Fa>",2025,"Basel Institute on Governance, Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (Kenya) and International Anti-Corruption Coordination Centre","2025-11-18",[382],"Asset Recovery",[384],{"url":385,"caption":386},"\u002Fresources\u002Fpublications?type=Case%20Study"," View all Case Studies",[],[41],[45],"- Kenya’s Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) established that between 2013 and 2017, around KES 2 billion (USD 15.5 million) was embezzled from the County Government of Migori in southwest Kenya through unlawful and irregular procurement contracts. The money was spent on property, high-end vehicles and university tuition fees for the former County Governor’s children.\n- Through the International Anti-Corruption Coordination Centre (IACCC), the EACC obtained crucial intelligence on the suspect’s assets, travels and purchases in several jurisdictions.\n- This enabled the EACC to prepare and submit precise mutual legal assistance requests, with the assistance of a mentor from the Basel Institute’s International Centre for Asset Recovery (ICAR).\n- The end result was timely evidence collection and an out-of-court settlement worth KES 235.6 million (USD 1.8 million) in property and vehicles. The assets will be liquidated and ultimately returned to the Kenyan treasury.\n- The case highlights the value of the IACCC as a mechanism for efficient and coordinated international cooperation in grand corruption investigations, and the benefits of ICAR’s case-based technical assistance in complex, cross-border corruption cases.",{"id":392,"storage":50,"filename_disk":393,"filename_download":394,"title":395,"type":54,"created_on":371,"modified_on":371,"charset":14,"filesize":396,"width":397,"height":398,"duration":14,"embed":14,"description":14,"location":14,"tags":14,"metadata":399,"focal_point_x":14,"focal_point_y":14,"tus_id":14,"tus_data":14,"uploaded_on":371},"b444532c-4291-4a7f-a981-5d08183eb628","b444532c-4291-4a7f-a981-5d08183eb628.jpg?itok=dPf9Eyx-","Pages-from-CaseStudy11.jpg?itok=dPf9Eyx-","Case Study 11 cover page",55519,500,707,{},[401,425,443],{"id":402,"publications_id":403,"countries_id":419},1144,{"id":370,"status":13,"sort":14,"user_created":404,"date_created":371,"user_updated":64,"date_updated":372,"nid":373,"slug":374,"image":392,"title":375,"body":376,"citation":377,"language":43,"year":378,"publisher":379,"date_published":380,"external":25,"topic":405,"link_internal":406,"link_external":408,"featured":25,"topics":409,"languages":14,"type":410,"area":14,"programme":14,"websites":14,"summary":14,"pdf_text":14,"main_points":390,"short_version":14,"subtitle":14,"countries":411,"tags":414,"pdf":416,"authors":418},"03bebfd8-0b40-4a2a-820d-b9d9c13b9de6",[382],[407],{"url":385,"caption":386},[],[41],[45],[402,412,413],1145,1146,[415],4708,[417],2482,[],{"id":420,"name":421,"code":422,"latitude":423,"longitude":424},113,"Kenya","KE",-0.02356,37.90619,{"id":412,"publications_id":426,"countries_id":437},{"id":370,"status":13,"sort":14,"user_created":404,"date_created":371,"user_updated":64,"date_updated":372,"nid":373,"slug":374,"image":392,"title":375,"body":376,"citation":377,"language":43,"year":378,"publisher":379,"date_published":380,"external":25,"topic":427,"link_internal":428,"link_external":430,"featured":25,"topics":431,"languages":14,"type":432,"area":14,"programme":14,"websites":14,"summary":14,"pdf_text":14,"main_points":390,"short_version":14,"subtitle":14,"countries":433,"tags":434,"pdf":435,"authors":436},[382],[429],{"url":385,"caption":386},[],[41],[45],[402,412,413],[415],[417],[],{"id":438,"name":439,"code":440,"latitude":441,"longitude":442},14,"Australia","AU",-25.2744,133.77515,{"id":413,"publications_id":444,"countries_id":455},{"id":370,"status":13,"sort":14,"user_created":404,"date_created":371,"user_updated":64,"date_updated":372,"nid":373,"slug":374,"image":392,"title":375,"body":376,"citation":377,"language":43,"year":378,"publisher":379,"date_published":380,"external":25,"topic":445,"link_internal":446,"link_external":448,"featured":25,"topics":449,"languages":14,"type":450,"area":14,"programme":14,"websites":14,"summary":14,"pdf_text":14,"main_points":390,"short_version":14,"subtitle":14,"countries":451,"tags":452,"pdf":453,"authors":454},[382],[447],{"url":385,"caption":386},[],[41],[45],[402,412,413],[415],[417],[],{"id":456,"name":457,"code":458,"latitude":459,"longitude":460},225,"Ukraine","UA",48.37943,31.16558,[462],{"id":415,"publications_id":463,"tags_id":474},{"id":370,"status":13,"sort":14,"user_created":404,"date_created":371,"user_updated":64,"date_updated":372,"nid":373,"slug":374,"image":392,"title":375,"body":376,"citation":377,"language":43,"year":378,"publisher":379,"date_published":380,"external":25,"topic":464,"link_internal":465,"link_external":467,"featured":25,"topics":468,"languages":14,"type":469,"area":14,"programme":14,"websites":14,"summary":14,"pdf_text":14,"main_points":390,"short_version":14,"subtitle":14,"countries":470,"tags":471,"pdf":472,"authors":473},[382],[466],{"url":385,"caption":386},[],[41],[45],[402,412,413],[415],[417],[],{"id":4,"name":5},[476],{"id":417,"publications_id":477,"directus_files_id":488},{"id":370,"status":13,"sort":14,"user_created":404,"date_created":371,"user_updated":64,"date_updated":372,"nid":373,"slug":374,"image":392,"title":375,"body":376,"citation":377,"language":43,"year":378,"publisher":379,"date_published":380,"external":25,"topic":478,"link_internal":479,"link_external":481,"featured":25,"topics":482,"languages":14,"type":483,"area":14,"programme":14,"websites":14,"summary":14,"pdf_text":14,"main_points":390,"short_version":14,"subtitle":14,"countries":484,"tags":485,"pdf":486,"authors":487},[382],[480],{"url":385,"caption":386},[],[41],[45],[402,412,413],[415],[417],[],{"id":489,"storage":50,"filename_disk":490,"filename_download":491,"title":491,"type":203,"folder":204,"uploaded_by":404,"created_on":371,"modified_by":14,"modified_on":371,"charset":14,"filesize":492,"width":14,"height":14,"duration":14,"embed":14,"description":202,"location":14,"tags":14,"metadata":14,"focal_point_x":14,"focal_point_y":14,"tus_id":14,"tus_data":14,"uploaded_on":371},"855a5874-3209-44ce-8271-eebce3522231","855a5874-3209-44ce-8271-eebce3522231.pdf","CaseStudy11.pdf",1855808,[],{"id":495,"status":13,"sort":14,"date_created":496,"date_updated":497,"nid":498,"slug":499,"title":500,"body":501,"citation":502,"language":43,"year":503,"publisher":504,"date_published":505,"external":25,"topic":506,"link_internal":507,"link_external":511,"featured":25,"topics":512,"languages":513,"type":514,"area":14,"programme":14,"websites":14,"summary":14,"pdf_text":14,"main_points":14,"short_version":14,"subtitle":14,"image":517,"countries":525,"tags":548,"pdf":563,"authors":582},2272,"2023-03-27T16:04:23.000Z","2026-06-02T14:09:04.000Z",2419,"recommendations-international-cooperation-anti-corruption-cohort-summit-democracy","Recommendations of the International Cooperation for Anti-Corruption Cohort of the Summit for Democracy","These recommendations by the Summit for Democracy’s International Cooperation for Anti-Corruption Cohort outline how to build on progress in international cooperation made over the last 10–15 years. They seek particularly to overcome challenges related to:\n\n\n- **Non-cooperative territories** that continue to offer secret hiding places for illicit money.\n- **Mutual legal assistance (MLA)**, widely acknowledged as still too slow, bureaucratic and underfunded in most states.\n- **Political will** to change the status quo.\n- **Corruption fighting back**, through disinformation campaigns and malicious lawsuits against prosecutors, judges and journalists.\n\n\nThe Cohort is a cooperation between the Government of Moldova, Basel Institute on Governance and Transparency International under the Summit for Democracy initiative of US President Biden.\n\n***\n\n**Participating countries:** Albania; Armenia; Austria; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Bulgaria; Chile; Costa Rica; France; Germany; Iraq; Ireland; Korea (Republic of); Kosovo; Malta; Moldova; Nigeria; Norway; Senegal; Slovenia; Spain; Switzerland; UK; Ukraine; USA.\n\n**Participating civil society organisations:** African Center for Governance, Asset Recovery and Sustainable Development, Nigeria; Basel Institute on Governance and International Centre for Asset Recovery, Switzerland; Brookings Institution, US; Center for the Study of Democracy, Bulgaria; German Marshall Fund of the US; Institute for European Policies and Reforms (IPRE), Moldova; International Bar Association – Asset Recovery Committee; Legal Resources Institute, Moldova; Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP); Transparency International; Transparency International France; Transparency International Kazakhstan; Transparency International Moldova; Transparency International Portugal; UNCAC Coalition.\n\n**Participating intergovernmental organisations:** European Commission; Regional Anti-Corruption Initiative (RAI), UNODC","",2023,"Government of Moldova, Basel Institute on Governance, Transparency International","2023-03-27",[382],[508],{"url":509,"caption":510},"\u002Fresources\u002Fnews\u002Faction-on-international-cooperation-for-anti-corruption-summit-for-democracy-recommendations-2418"," View summary",[],[41],[43],[515,516],"Article","Guidelines",{"id":518,"storage":50,"filename_disk":519,"filename_download":520,"title":521,"type":54,"created_on":496,"modified_on":496,"charset":14,"filesize":522,"width":397,"height":523,"duration":14,"embed":14,"description":14,"location":14,"tags":14,"metadata":524,"focal_point_x":14,"focal_point_y":14,"tus_id":14,"tus_data":14,"uploaded_on":496},"e45ff571-4d6f-40d0-9dd5-7cb696575fb3","e45ff571-4d6f-40d0-9dd5-7cb696575fb3.jpg?itok=-XDPab-k","S4D-AC-Cohort-Recommendations-and-Countries-Page-1-0.jpg?itok=-XDPab-k","S4D AC Cohort Recommendations and Countries",67326,647,{},[526],{"id":527,"publications_id":528,"countries_id":542},1063,{"id":495,"status":13,"sort":14,"user_created":404,"date_created":496,"user_updated":64,"date_updated":497,"nid":498,"slug":499,"image":518,"title":500,"body":501,"citation":502,"language":43,"year":503,"publisher":504,"date_published":505,"external":25,"topic":529,"link_internal":530,"link_external":532,"featured":25,"topics":533,"languages":534,"type":535,"area":14,"programme":14,"websites":14,"summary":14,"pdf_text":14,"main_points":14,"short_version":14,"subtitle":14,"countries":536,"tags":537,"pdf":539,"authors":541},[382],[531],{"url":509,"caption":510},[],[41],[43],[515,516],[527],[538],4449,[540],2309,[],{"id":543,"name":544,"code":545,"latitude":546,"longitude":547},137,"Moldova","MD",47.41163,28.36988,[549],{"id":538,"publications_id":550,"tags_id":562},{"id":495,"status":13,"sort":14,"user_created":404,"date_created":496,"user_updated":64,"date_updated":497,"nid":498,"slug":499,"image":518,"title":500,"body":501,"citation":502,"language":43,"year":503,"publisher":504,"date_published":505,"external":25,"topic":551,"link_internal":552,"link_external":554,"featured":25,"topics":555,"languages":556,"type":557,"area":14,"programme":14,"websites":14,"summary":14,"pdf_text":14,"main_points":14,"short_version":14,"subtitle":14,"countries":558,"tags":559,"pdf":560,"authors":561},[382],[553],{"url":509,"caption":510},[],[41],[43],[515,516],[527],[538],[540],[],{"id":4,"name":5},[564],{"id":540,"publications_id":565,"directus_files_id":577},{"id":495,"status":13,"sort":14,"user_created":404,"date_created":496,"user_updated":64,"date_updated":497,"nid":498,"slug":499,"image":518,"title":500,"body":501,"citation":502,"language":43,"year":503,"publisher":504,"date_published":505,"external":25,"topic":566,"link_internal":567,"link_external":569,"featured":25,"topics":570,"languages":571,"type":572,"area":14,"programme":14,"websites":14,"summary":14,"pdf_text":14,"main_points":14,"short_version":14,"subtitle":14,"countries":573,"tags":574,"pdf":575,"authors":576},[382],[568],{"url":509,"caption":510},[],[41],[43],[515,516],[527],[538],[540],[],{"id":578,"storage":50,"filename_disk":579,"filename_download":580,"title":580,"type":203,"folder":204,"uploaded_by":404,"created_on":496,"modified_by":14,"modified_on":496,"charset":14,"filesize":581,"width":14,"height":14,"duration":14,"embed":14,"description":202,"location":14,"tags":14,"metadata":14,"focal_point_x":14,"focal_point_y":14,"tus_id":14,"tus_data":14,"uploaded_on":496},"885719cd-3004-4bef-b3ff-87067b954b68","885719cd-3004-4bef-b3ff-87067b954b68.pdf","S4D-AC-Cohort-Recommendations-and-Countries.pdf",277051,[],{"id":584,"status":13,"sort":14,"date_created":585,"date_updated":586,"nid":587,"slug":588,"title":589,"body":590,"citation":502,"language":43,"year":503,"publisher":23,"date_published":591,"external":25,"topic":592,"link_internal":593,"link_external":595,"featured":25,"topics":596,"languages":597,"type":598,"area":14,"programme":14,"websites":14,"summary":14,"pdf_text":14,"main_points":599,"short_version":14,"subtitle":14,"image":600,"countries":607,"tags":647,"pdf":676,"authors":696},2265,"2023-02-20T17:04:16.000Z","2026-06-02T21:19:57.000Z",2390,"case-study-10-using-full-legal-means-confiscate-illicit-assets-time-war","Case Study 10: Using full legal means to confiscate illicit assets in a time of war","This case study describes how Switzerland is putting to test a rarely used but powerful law in order to confiscate assets connected to Ukraine’s 2014 Revolution of Dignity, with the aim of returning these to Ukraine.\n\n### Open-access licence and acknowledgements\n\nThis publication is part of the Basel Institute on Governance Case Study series, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fcase-studies\">ISSN 2813-3900\u003C\u002Fa>. It is licensed for sharing under a Creative Commons \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcreativecommons.org\u002Flicenses\u002Fby-nc-nd\u002F4.0\u002F\">BY-NC-ND 4.0\u003C\u002Fa> licence.\n\nThe Case Study series offers practitioners insights into interesting and precedent-setting cases involving corruption and asset recovery. Many such cases are drawn from partner countries of the Basel Institute's \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fasset-recovery\">International Centre for Asset Recovery\u003C\u002Fa>.\n\nSuggested citation: International Centre for Asset Recovery. 2023. “Using full legal means to confiscate illicit assets in a time of war.\" *Case Study* 10, Basel Institute on Governance. Available at: baselgovernance.org\u002Fcase-studies.","2023-02-20",[382],[594],{"url":385,"caption":386},[],[41],[43],[45],"- Switzerland is in the midst of administrative proceedings to confiscate around CHF 130 million in assets linked to the regime of former Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych. \n- This case study examines the first of a series of cases concerned by these proceedings. Announced in May 2022, it involves over CHF 100 million in assets held by a close associate of the former president, Yuriy Ivanyushchenko and his family. They have been frozen in Switzerland since Yanukovych was deposed in Ukraine’s 2014 Revolution of Dignity.\n- These efforts are significant as they may allow the return of assets to the people of Ukraine at a time of immense need.\n- Just as importantly though, the move demonstrates how states can proactively seek ways to use their full legal toolkit to confiscate illicit assets linked to political exposed persons and ensure they are put to good use.\n- It also demonstrates how states have opportunities to strengthen their adoption and use of established asset recovery mechanisms to interrupt the type of kleptocracies that have enabled the war in Ukraine in the first place. ",{"id":601,"storage":50,"filename_disk":602,"filename_download":603,"title":604,"type":54,"created_on":585,"modified_on":585,"charset":14,"filesize":605,"width":397,"height":398,"duration":14,"embed":14,"description":14,"location":14,"tags":14,"metadata":606,"focal_point_x":14,"focal_point_y":14,"tus_id":14,"tus_data":14,"uploaded_on":585},"bc1ae384-869c-4342-b438-53bbe4e5c6f6","bc1ae384-869c-4342-b438-53bbe4e5c6f6.jpg?itok=bd-PFXJy","Pages-from-220220-Case-Study-10.jpg?itok=bd-PFXJy","Case study 10 cover 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Centre for Asset Recovery",9,{"items":715,"total":1225},[716,848,926,1019,1112],{"id":717,"status":13,"date_created":718,"date_updated":719,"title":720,"type":721,"body":722,"date":723,"topic":724,"slug":725,"activity":726,"nid":728,"topics":729,"activities":730,"programme":14,"area":14,"websites":731,"language":14,"image":733,"translation_of":14,"countries":743,"tags":744,"authors":827,"images":845,"translations":846,"content":847},10525,"2025-01-16T11:01:45.000Z","2026-05-29T22:22:34.000Z","Enhancing cooperation in asset recovery is vital for crime prevention","Blog","_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._\n\n_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](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.unodc.org\u002Funodc\u002Fen\u002Fcommissions\u002FCCPCJ\u002FPNI\u002Finstitutes.html)._\n\nAt first glance, the Kyoto Declaration’s fourth pillar may appear to combine two separate things. Why should “international cooperation” and “technical assistance” be connected?\n\nThe Basel Institute’s International Centre for Asset Recovery ([ICAR](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fasset-recovery)) 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.\n\nInternational 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.\n\nWe 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.\n\n### Asset recovery: key to preventing crime\n\nIn 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”.\n\nAt 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.\n\n*   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.\n\n*   Disruption: The financial investigations at the heart of the asset recovery process [are key to understanding and disrupting organised criminal networks](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fpublications\u002Fquick-guide-15-following-money). 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](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fpublications\u002Fresearch-case-4) to [grand corruption and money laundering schemes](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fpublications\u002Fworking-paper-36-revealing-networks-behind-corruption-and-money-laundering-schemes).\n\n*   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](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fpublications\u002Fworking-paper-29-recovering-assets-support-sdgs-soft-hard-assets-development). This effect is enhanced when recovered assets are [reinvested in public goods](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fblog\u002Fsmarter-use-confiscated-assets-would-multiply-their-impact) – 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.\n\nOur 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](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fnews\u002Fit-takes-three-tango-switzerland-luxembourg-and-peru-sign-agreement-return-usd-26-million) that ICAR facilitated.\n\nThrough 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.\n\n### Evolutions in international cooperation for asset recovery\n\nOver 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:\n\n1\\. Informal cooperation mechanisms and networks\n\nIn 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.\n\nThe 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.\n\nThe 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.\n\n2\\. Trust and relationships\n\nThe 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.\n\nThis aspect was vital to achieving [Colombia’s first-ever international asset return](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fnews\u002Fcolombia-guernsey-cooperation-leads-successful-non-conviction-based-forfeiture-illicit-assets) 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.”\n\nTrust, 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](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fpublications\u002Fcase-study-8-windward-trading-charging-shelf-company-money-laundering-and-returning).\n\nThis 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](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fnews\u002Ffracck-agreement-kenya-illustrates-partnership-essential-when-disposal-confiscated-assets).\n\n3\\. Building capacity among international counterparts\n\nArticle 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:\n\n> 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.\n\nInternational 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.\n\nYet 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.\n\nThis 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.\n\nTo 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](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fnews\u002Fperu-celebrates-five-years-its-non-conviction-based-forfeiture-law-usd-94-million-so-far) domestically and internationally.\n\nDeveloping 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](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.unodc.org\u002Funodc\u002Fmoney-laundering\u002Fglobal-programme-against-money-laundering\u002F8th-cryptocurrency-conference-vienna.html), which we organise with Europol and which UNODC hosted this year in Vienna.\n\n### Conclusion\n\nOur 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.\n\nTo 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.\n\nThis 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.\n\n### Learn more\n\nRead Working Paper 51: [Good practices in asset recovery legislation in selected OSCE participating States](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fpublications\u002Fwp-51), by Andrew Dornbierer.","2025-01-16",[382],"enhancing-cooperation-in-asset-recovery-is-vital-for-crime-prevention-2742",[727],"Insights",2742,[41],[727],[732],"Main page",{"id":734,"storage":50,"filename_disk":735,"filename_download":736,"title":720,"type":737,"created_on":738,"modified_on":738,"charset":14,"filesize":739,"width":740,"height":741,"duration":14,"embed":14,"description":14,"location":14,"tags":14,"metadata":742,"focal_point_x":14,"focal_point_y":14,"tus_id":14,"tus_data":14,"uploaded_on":738},"6af1e7dd-878e-4c33-aba4-163ff12cf2fc","6af1e7dd-878e-4c33-aba4-163ff12cf2fc.webp","tmp.webp","image\u002Fwebp","2025-05-12T21:09:53.000Z",53864,1400,732,{},[],[745,765,779,795,811],{"id":746,"news_id":747,"tags_id":764},4844,{"id":717,"status":13,"user_created":404,"date_created":718,"user_updated":64,"date_updated":719,"title":720,"type":721,"body":722,"image":734,"date":723,"topic":748,"slug":725,"activity":749,"nid":728,"topics":750,"activities":751,"programme":14,"area":14,"websites":752,"translation_of":14,"language":14,"countries":753,"tags":754,"authors":759,"images":761,"translations":762,"content":763},[382],[727],[41],[727],[732],[],[746,755,756,757,758],4845,5675,5676,5677,[760],1093,[],[],[],{"id":180,"name":181},{"id":755,"news_id":766,"tags_id":778},{"id":717,"status":13,"user_created":404,"date_created":718,"user_updated":64,"date_updated":719,"title":720,"type":721,"body":722,"image":734,"date":723,"topic":767,"slug":725,"activity":768,"nid":728,"topics":769,"activities":770,"programme":14,"area":14,"websites":771,"translation_of":14,"language":14,"countries":772,"tags":773,"authors":774,"images":775,"translations":776,"content":777},[382],[727],[41],[727],[732],[],[746,755,756,757,758],[760],[],[],[],{"id":4,"name":5},{"id":756,"news_id":780,"tags_id":792},{"id":717,"status":13,"user_created":404,"date_created":718,"user_updated":64,"date_updated":719,"title":720,"type":721,"body":722,"image":734,"date":723,"topic":781,"slug":725,"activity":782,"nid":728,"topics":783,"activities":784,"programme":14,"area":14,"websites":785,"translation_of":14,"language":14,"countries":786,"tags":787,"authors":788,"images":789,"translations":790,"content":791},[382],[727],[41],[727],[732],[],[746,755,756,757,758],[760],[],[],[],{"id":793,"name":794},1309,"Informality",{"id":757,"news_id":796,"tags_id":808},{"id":717,"status":13,"user_created":404,"date_created":718,"user_updated":64,"date_updated":719,"title":720,"type":721,"body":722,"image":734,"date":723,"topic":797,"slug":725,"activity":798,"nid":728,"topics":799,"activities":800,"programme":14,"area":14,"websites":801,"translation_of":14,"language":14,"countries":802,"tags":803,"authors":804,"images":805,"translations":806,"content":807},[382],[727],[41],[727],[732],[],[746,755,756,757,758],[760],[],[],[],{"id":809,"name":810},909,"Collective Action",{"id":758,"news_id":812,"tags_id":824},{"id":717,"status":13,"user_created":404,"date_created":718,"user_updated":64,"date_updated":719,"title":720,"type":721,"body":722,"image":734,"date":723,"topic":813,"slug":725,"activity":814,"nid":728,"topics":815,"activities":816,"programme":14,"area":14,"websites":817,"translation_of":14,"language":14,"countries":818,"tags":819,"authors":820,"images":821,"translations":822,"content":823},[382],[727],[41],[727],[732],[],[746,755,756,757,758],[760],[],[],[],{"id":825,"name":826},1372,"Training",[828],{"id":760,"news_id":829,"authors_id":841},{"id":717,"status":13,"user_created":404,"date_created":718,"user_updated":64,"date_updated":719,"title":720,"type":721,"body":722,"image":734,"date":723,"topic":830,"slug":725,"activity":831,"nid":728,"topics":832,"activities":833,"programme":14,"area":14,"websites":834,"translation_of":14,"language":14,"countries":835,"tags":836,"authors":837,"images":838,"translations":839,"content":840},[382],[727],[41],[727],[732],[],[746,755,756,757,758],[760],[],[],[],{"id":842,"name":843,"position":14,"image":844},555,"Iker Lekuona","9cc6fb6a-961a-4c65-a80c-faaae2afd91c",[],[],[],{"id":849,"status":13,"date_created":850,"date_updated":851,"title":852,"type":853,"body":854,"date":855,"topic":856,"slug":857,"activity":858,"nid":859,"topics":860,"activities":861,"programme":14,"area":14,"websites":862,"language":14,"image":863,"translation_of":14,"countries":870,"tags":893,"authors":922,"images":923,"translations":924,"content":925},10303,"2022-09-06T14:07:43.000Z","2026-05-29T22:22:23.000Z","Mozambique builds capacity to investigate transnational corruption and money laundering cases ","News","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.\n\nThe [training team](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fasset-recovery\u002Ftraining-programmes) 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.\n\n### From shell companies to international cooperation\n\nBuilding 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:\n\n*   Gaining information and evidence from abroad through mutual legal assistance (MLA) in criminal matters.\n*   Investigating financial flows through offshore corporate structures such as shell companies and trusts.\n\nAs 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.\n\n### Essential to transnational investigations\n\nBoth 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](https:\u002F\u002Fblogs.worldbank.org\u002Fafricacan\u002Fmozambiques-hidden-debts-turning-crisis-opportunity-reform) 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.\n\nAs 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.\n\nParticipants 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.”\n\n### Learn more\n\n*   See a [news article](https:\u002F\u002Fclubofmozambique.com\u002Fnews\u002Fmozambique-judges-and-investigators-trained-in-asset-recovery-222464\u002F) about the training published by the Club of Mozambique.\n*   Learn about [ICAR training programmes](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fasset-recovery\u002Ftraining-programmes) and download a current brochure in English, French, Portuguese and Spanish.\n*   Read Phyllis Atkinson’s quick guide to [offshore structures and beneficial ownership](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fpublications\u002Fquick-guide-19-offshore-structures-and-beneficial-ownership).\n*   Take our self-paced eLearning course on [International cooperation and mutual legal assistance in criminal matters](https:\u002F\u002Flearn.baselgovernance.org\u002Fcourse\u002Fview.php?id=72), available for free on Basel LEARN (with certificate of completion).","2022-08-31",[382],"mozambique-builds-capacity-to-investigate-transnational-corruption-and-money-laundering-cases-2278",[826],2278,[41],[826],[732],{"id":864,"storage":50,"filename_disk":865,"filename_download":736,"title":852,"type":737,"created_on":866,"modified_on":866,"charset":14,"filesize":867,"width":740,"height":868,"duration":14,"embed":14,"description":14,"location":14,"tags":14,"metadata":869,"focal_point_x":14,"focal_point_y":14,"tus_id":14,"tus_data":14,"uploaded_on":866},"a0398ab0-fcd9-49a6-a916-71a3e2379dd6","a0398ab0-fcd9-49a6-a916-71a3e2379dd6.webp","2025-05-12T21:16:20.000Z",149382,933,{},[871],{"id":872,"news_id":873,"countries_id":887},7221,{"id":849,"status":13,"user_created":404,"date_created":850,"user_updated":64,"date_updated":851,"title":852,"type":853,"body":854,"image":864,"date":855,"topic":874,"slug":857,"activity":875,"nid":859,"topics":876,"activities":877,"programme":14,"area":14,"websites":878,"translation_of":14,"language":14,"countries":879,"tags":880,"authors":883,"images":884,"translations":885,"content":886},[382],[826],[41],[826],[732],[872],[881,882],4957,5730,[],[],[],[],{"id":888,"name":889,"code":890,"latitude":891,"longitude":892},156,"Mozambique","MZ",-18.66569,35.52956,[894,908],{"id":881,"news_id":895,"tags_id":907},{"id":849,"status":13,"user_created":404,"date_created":850,"user_updated":64,"date_updated":851,"title":852,"type":853,"body":854,"image":864,"date":855,"topic":896,"slug":857,"activity":897,"nid":859,"topics":898,"activities":899,"programme":14,"area":14,"websites":900,"translation_of":14,"language":14,"countries":901,"tags":902,"authors":903,"images":904,"translations":905,"content":906},[382],[826],[41],[826],[732],[872],[881,882],[],[],[],[],{"id":4,"name":5},{"id":882,"news_id":909,"tags_id":921},{"id":849,"status":13,"user_created":404,"date_created":850,"user_updated":64,"date_updated":851,"title":852,"type":853,"body":854,"image":864,"date":855,"topic":910,"slug":857,"activity":911,"nid":859,"topics":912,"activities":913,"programme":14,"area":14,"websites":914,"translation_of":14,"language":14,"countries":915,"tags":916,"authors":917,"images":918,"translations":919,"content":920},[382],[826],[41],[826],[732],[872],[881,882],[],[],[],[],{"id":144,"name":145},[],[],[],[],{"id":927,"status":13,"date_created":928,"date_updated":929,"title":930,"type":721,"body":931,"date":932,"topic":933,"slug":934,"activity":935,"nid":936,"topics":937,"activities":938,"programme":14,"area":14,"websites":939,"language":14,"image":940,"translation_of":14,"countries":946,"tags":947,"authors":998,"images":1016,"translations":1017,"content":1018},9530,"2022-05-26T22:52:04.000Z","2026-05-29T22:21:40.000Z","International cooperation in illicit enrichment cases – scope for reform?","_Why is international cooperation in asset recovery cases based on illicit enrichment\u002Funexplained wealth laws a particularly challenging issue? This is a question we have received from many corners of the world following our publication last year of an open-access book on_ [Illicit Enrichment: A Guide to Laws Targeting Unexplained Wealth](https:\u002F\u002Fillicitenrichment.baselgovernance.org\u002F)_._\n\n_In this annexed contribution to the book, Jonathan Spicer explains why international cooperation in illicit enrichment cases can come up against barriers – and asks whether there is scope for reform._\n\n_Jonathan is Senior Asset Recovery Specialist at the Basel Institute’s International Centre for Asset Recovery. He worked closely with the book’s author, Andrew Dornbierer, during the book’s development and editing._\n\n_Illicit Enrichment is freely available to read and download at [illicitenrichment.org](https:\u002F\u002Fillicitenrichment.baselgovernance.org\u002F)._ _A Spanish version of the book is available here: [Enriquecimiento ilícito: Una guía sobre las leyes que abordan los activos de procedencia inexplicable.](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fpublications\u002Fenriquecimiento-ilicito-una-guia-sobre-las-leyes-que-abordan-los-activos-de)_\n\n### Why international cooperation is needed\n\nCriminal activity is not confined to national borders and illicit enrichment investigations will often have an international element. Investigators may seek information or evidence from other jurisdictions which relates to the suspected criminal activity that has led to the illicit enrichment or that relates to the possession, concealment or use of illicit assets.\n\nFor example, a public official may be suspected of using a foreign corporate structure to hold illicit funds in bank accounts in another jurisdiction. In order to progress the investigation (and potentially freeze the funds), prosecutors will need to use mutual legal assistance (MLA) to obtain evidence from the respective jurisdictions where the foreign company is registered and where the bank account is located.\n\nAlternatively, it may be known that the child of a public official attends a renowned (and expensive) fee-paying school overseas. Investigators would be seeking information not only on the amount of fees that have been paid, but also on the source and manner of the payments. The school may voluntarily provide the information on the payment of the fees, but if it does not a court order will be necessary.\n\nAccordingly, insofar as this information is not publicly available, assistance will be required from the authorities in the jurisdictions where intelligence or evidence is held. Whether that jurisdiction is able to assist will usually depend upon its domestic law and also whether it has either illicit enrichment as an offence or civil procedure.\n\n### Formal and informal cooperation channels\n\nInternational cooperation exists at both informal and formal levels.\n\nInformal international cooperation is usually seen as cooperation at a law enforcement level or as police-to-police assistance. Often this will amount to intelligence sharing (for example between financial intelligence units) or it may involve assistance which can be provided without the need for coercive measures (such as obtaining the voluntary assistance of the school in the example above).\n\nAs these enquiries may be made at an early stage where the investigation is not limited to illicit enrichment but also looking at underlying criminality, there are likely to be fewer difficulties in obtaining assistance.\n\nFormal means of international cooperation, known as MLA, is where a state requests another state to apply its laws to obtain evidence for use in the proceedings being brought by the requesting state. This cooperation usually requires the use of coercive measures by the requested state, for example searches of properties, interviewing of witnesses or production of documents.\n\nThis formal means of cooperation is usually based on multilateral treaties, bilateral treaties or other forms of state to state agreements. In terms of illicit enrichment proceedings, MLA may be required to obtain evidence during the investigation stage, for example bank statements, or may be required to freeze assets or to enforce a final order for confiscation.\n\n### Dual criminality – an obstacle to international cooperation\n\nUnder the dual criminality principle, States will only provide MLA in criminal matters if the offence being investigated in the requesting State is also an offence in the State being asked to provide assistance.\n\nThe application of this principle by States which do not recognise an offence of illicit enrichment can often be an obstacle to international cooperation in illicit enrichment investigations.\n\nThe promotion of the criminalisation of illicit enrichment as a measure to tackle corruption is seen within [UNCAC (Article 20)](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.jus.uio.no\u002Flm\u002Fun.against.corruption.convention.2003\u002F20.html) as well as other regional treaties such as [IACAC (Article IX)](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.jus.uio.no\u002Fenglish\u002Fservices\u002Flibrary\u002Ftreaties\u002F04\u002F4-04\u002Fia-against-corruption.xml) or [AUCPCC (Article 8)](https:\u002F\u002Fau.int\u002Fsites\u002Fdefault\u002Ffiles\u002Ftreaties\u002F36382-treaty-0028_-_african_union_convention_on_preventing_and_combating_corruption_e.pdf).\n\nHowever the introduction of illicit enrichment offences is not compulsory under these conventions.\n\nUnder UNCAC and the AUCPCC, non-mandatory language permits States to decide themselves whether to implement illicit enrichment laws, while under the IACAC, States may also refrain from introducing an illicit enrichment offence if they deem that it will contravene existing constitutional rights.\n\n### Providing assistance despite a lack of dual criminality\n\nWhile the IACAC and AUCPCC do not address the issue of dual criminality directly, they both have almost identical provisions on assistance to be provided in illicit enrichment investigations, by States Parties that do not introduce illicit enrichment offences.\n\nUnder IACAC at Article IX paragraph 3:\n\n> _Any State Party that has not established illicit enrichment as an offense shall, insofar as its laws permit, provide assistance and cooperation with respect to this offense as provided in this Convention._\n\nThe United States of America posted a reservation on its signing of the IACAC, where it stated that it understood it was not obligated to introduce an offence of illicit enrichment, as this would be inconsistent with the United States constitution and fundamental legal principles due to the burden of proof being placed on the defendant. However, the U.S. does make clear that as far as it is permitted by domestic law, it does intend to assist and cooperate with other States Parties investigating illicit enrichment.\n\nThe provisions of UNCAC emphasise the need for cooperation and address dual criminality directly. Article 43(1) mandates State Parties to cooperate in criminal matters in accordance with Article 44 to 50 of the Convention, before addressing dual criminality in Article 43(2):\n\n> _In matters of international cooperation, whenever dual criminality is considered a requirement, it shall be deemed fulfilled irrespective of whether the laws of the requested State Party place the offence within the same category of offence or denominate the offence by the same terminology as the requesting State Party, if the conduct underlying the offence for which assistance is sought is a criminal offence under the laws of both States Parties._\n\nThus, States Parties receiving MLA requests cannot refuse on the basis of the name of the offence or the category under which it is deemed to fall, but must look at the actual conduct which constitutes the offence and consider whether this would amount to an offence under the domestic law.\n\nHowever, illicit enrichment offences, and particularly those that include a shifting of the burden of proof on to the defendant, do not compare easily with other types of offending. Nonetheless, Article 46, which addresses MLA, requires State Parties to “afford one another the widest measure of mutual legal assistance in investigations, prosecutions and judicial proceedings in relation to the offences covered by \\[the\\] Convention”.\n\nFinally, Article 46 (9) of UNCAC makes further provision on MLA and dual criminality:\n\n> _(a) A requested State Party, in responding to a request for assistance pursuant to this article in the absence of dual criminality, shall take into account the purposes of this Convention, as set forth in article 1;_\n> \n> _(b) States Parties may decline to render assistance pursuant to this article on the ground of absence of dual criminality. However, a requested State Party shall, where consistent with the basic concepts of its legal system, render assistance that does not involve coercive action. Such assistance may be refused when requests involve matters of a de minimis nature or matters for which the cooperation or assistance sought is available under other provisions of this Convention;_\n> \n> _(c) Each State Party may consider adopting such measures as may be necessary to enable it to provide a wider scope of assistance pursuant to this article in the absence of dual criminality._\n\nIt can be said, therefore, that the framers of the Convention sought to encourage the provision of assistance by States Parties which had not criminalised offences under the Convention (including illicit enrichment) to those States Parties which have.\n\nRequested States need to consider the purposes of the Convention under Article 1 and to consider whether it is possible to provide assistance falling short of coercive measures under their domestic law.\n\n### Pragmatic solutions to practical challenges\n\nDespite these provisions, the lack of dual criminality may still prevent jurisdictions from using coercive measures to provide assistance in illicit enrichment investigations \u002F prosecutions.\n\nWhere this is the case, requesting States may be able to obtain help by outlining the suspected criminal behaviour which is thought to have led to the illicit enrichment. When this behaviour is considered by the requested State, it may consider that it is possible to provide support in the obtaining of evidence using coercive measures.\n\nIn this respect, requesting States should consider providing a wide explanation of the facts revealed by the investigation and the activities of the suspects, as this will potentially provide grounds for the requested State to assist.\n\n### Caveat: the specialty principle\n\nThere is a caveat that should be highlighted here, which is the rule of specialty. This is that the evidence which is obtained by the requested State should only be used for the investigation or proceedings stated in the request.\n\nTherefore, it would not be permitted to apply for evidence on the basis of a corruption investigation and then use it in a hitherto unmentioned prosecution for illicit enrichment. Permission has to be sought from the State which provided the evidence.\n\n### Scope for reform?\n\nOne of the reasons for the adoption by States of a criminal offence of illicit enrichment is due to the difficulties in investigating the underlying criminality, especially in cases of corruption. However, an offence of illicit enrichment has not been widely adopted in those States where the assets may be held or through which they have been laundered.\n\nNotwithstanding this, many of those States encourage the adoption of procedures which tackle corruption and may have some alternative form of addressing illicit wealth, for example non-conviction based forfeiture procedures (incorporating unexplained wealth investigative orders such as the United Kingdom).\n\nThis does not seem to be enough to overcome the issue of dual criminality for some jurisdictions. The question arises whether further steps should be taken internationally to promote a limited exception to the rule on dual criminality, which would apply to MLA requests to obtain evidence in illicit enrichment cases.","2022-02-06",[382],"international-cooperation-in-illicit-enrichment-cases-scope-for-reform-2173",[727],2173,[41],[727],[732],{"id":941,"storage":50,"filename_disk":942,"filename_download":736,"title":930,"type":737,"created_on":943,"modified_on":943,"charset":14,"filesize":944,"width":740,"height":868,"duration":14,"embed":14,"description":14,"location":14,"tags":14,"metadata":945,"focal_point_x":14,"focal_point_y":14,"tus_id":14,"tus_data":14,"uploaded_on":943},"42ab517f-615e-4660-8bae-1dcd423c958c","42ab517f-615e-4660-8bae-1dcd423c958c.webp","2025-05-12T21:17:05.000Z",185534,{},[],[948,968,982],{"id":949,"news_id":950,"tags_id":965},5041,{"id":927,"status":13,"user_created":404,"date_created":928,"user_updated":64,"date_updated":929,"title":930,"type":721,"body":931,"image":941,"date":932,"topic":951,"slug":934,"activity":952,"nid":936,"topics":953,"activities":954,"programme":14,"area":14,"websites":955,"translation_of":14,"language":14,"countries":956,"tags":957,"authors":960,"images":962,"translations":963,"content":964},[382],[727],[41],[727],[732],[],[949,958,959],5042,5763,[961],1175,[],[],[],{"id":966,"name":967},821,"Unexplained wealth",{"id":958,"news_id":969,"tags_id":981},{"id":927,"status":13,"user_created":404,"date_created":928,"user_updated":64,"date_updated":929,"title":930,"type":721,"body":931,"image":941,"date":932,"topic":970,"slug":934,"activity":971,"nid":936,"topics":972,"activities":973,"programme":14,"area":14,"websites":974,"translation_of":14,"language":14,"countries":975,"tags":976,"authors":977,"images":978,"translations":979,"content":980},[382],[727],[41],[727],[732],[],[949,958,959],[961],[],[],[],{"id":4,"name":5},{"id":959,"news_id":983,"tags_id":995},{"id":927,"status":13,"user_created":404,"date_created":928,"user_updated":64,"date_updated":929,"title":930,"type":721,"body":931,"image":941,"date":932,"topic":984,"slug":934,"activity":985,"nid":936,"topics":986,"activities":987,"programme":14,"area":14,"websites":988,"translation_of":14,"language":14,"countries":989,"tags":990,"authors":991,"images":992,"translations":993,"content":994},[382],[727],[41],[727],[732],[],[949,958,959],[961],[],[],[],{"id":996,"name":997},1215,"Illicit financial flows",[999],{"id":961,"news_id":1000,"authors_id":1012},{"id":927,"status":13,"user_created":404,"date_created":928,"user_updated":64,"date_updated":929,"title":930,"type":721,"body":931,"image":941,"date":932,"topic":1001,"slug":934,"activity":1002,"nid":936,"topics":1003,"activities":1004,"programme":14,"area":14,"websites":1005,"translation_of":14,"language":14,"countries":1006,"tags":1007,"authors":1008,"images":1009,"translations":1010,"content":1011},[382],[727],[41],[727],[732],[],[949,958,959],[961],[],[],[],{"id":1013,"name":1014,"position":14,"image":1015},292,"Jonathan Spicer","b18c3d88-7b6c-41ee-8518-0c5ebe14111b",[],[],[],{"id":1020,"status":13,"date_created":1021,"date_updated":1022,"title":1023,"type":853,"body":1024,"date":1025,"topic":1026,"slug":1027,"activity":1028,"nid":1029,"topics":1030,"activities":1031,"programme":14,"area":14,"websites":1032,"language":14,"image":1033,"translation_of":14,"countries":1039,"tags":1063,"authors":1108,"images":1109,"translations":1110,"content":1111},10463,"2024-08-13T22:01:46.000Z","2026-05-29T22:22:30.000Z","Malawian Police gain essential skills to combat money laundering and recover criminal proceeds","Investigators and prosecutors from the Malawi Police Service (MPS) have gained vital skills in financial investigations and asset recovery during a five-day intensive Financial Investigations and Asset Recovery training programme.\n\nThis is the first time our [ICAR Training Team](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fasset-recovery\u002Ftraining-programmes) has been able to deliver in-person training since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.\n\nAs well as members of the MPS, the 23 participants included prosecutors from the Directorate of Public Prosecutions and members of the Judiciary. The training supports the objectives of our multi-year Tackling Serious and Organised Corruption programme in Malawi, which is funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.\n\n### Why do Malawian Police need specialised training?\n\nJust like other Malawian agencies, such as the Financial Intelligence Agency (FIA) or the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), the MPS is increasingly involved in the investigation and prosecution of money laundering cases and the recovery of criminal assets.\n\nHowever, one of the challenges raised during the workshop was a lack of experience and technical expertise to tackle such cases.\n\nThis is not only because of the financial analysis skills required to investigate such cases, but also the transnational nature of large-scale corruption and money laundering. This requires, among other things, the ability to draft proper mutual legal assistance (MLA) requests.\n\n### Learning new skills, applying them in day-to-day work\n\nThe flagship Financial Investigations and Asset Recovery training programme provides participants with the essential skills and simple but yet powerful tools to handle high-profile and complex financial investigations.\n\nOne Malawian investigator commented:\n\n> This is one of the most excellent experiences so far. I have really learned a lot from our lectures, that I will surely use in my cases. I really appreciate the issues to do with money laundering, as currently I am handling a case that has that offence and I did not know how to go about it. I will surely use the knowledge gained this week in my cases as well as my daily work.\n\nThe participants were immersed in a simulated corruption and money laundering investigation during which they actively followed investigative leads, made decisions, analysed and solved problems, using the Malawian legal framework.\n\nThe experience also allowed them to reflect upon the challenges that such investigations entail and possible solutions to overcome them.\n\nA prosecutor stated that:\n\n> The course has added some useful value as far as my daily work as a prosecutor is concerned. From now on, I will be able to guide the investigators who are investigating the financial crimes on how best we can successfully corner the perpetrators. As a prosecutor, I will be able from now on to apply for forfeiture orders wherever it is necessary. I can now easily prosecute financial crime-related offences.\n\n### Learn more\n\n*   The ICAR training team delivers a range of tailored, high-impact training programmes to government partner agencies around the world. [Find out more and download a brochure](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fasset-recovery\u002Ftraining-programmes) in English, Spanish, French and Portuguese.\n*   ICAR also offers free, interactive eLearning courses on critical skills in conducting financial investigations, gathering intelligence and international cooperation, including drafting MLA requests. [Register on our virtual learning platform, Basel LEARN](https:\u002F\u002Flearn.baselgovernance.org\u002F), and start learning today!","2021-11-24",[382],"malawian-police-gain-essential-skills-to-combat-money-laundering-and-recover-criminal-proceeds-2134",[826],2134,[41],[826],[732],{"id":1034,"storage":50,"filename_disk":1035,"filename_download":736,"title":1023,"type":737,"created_on":1036,"modified_on":1036,"charset":14,"filesize":1037,"width":740,"height":868,"duration":14,"embed":14,"description":14,"location":14,"tags":14,"metadata":1038,"focal_point_x":14,"focal_point_y":14,"tus_id":14,"tus_data":14,"uploaded_on":1036},"4561743d-ad10-4a6f-8f8f-c3c7e254211e","4561743d-ad10-4a6f-8f8f-c3c7e254211e.webp","2025-05-12T21:17:21.000Z",133576,{},[1040],{"id":1041,"news_id":1042,"countries_id":1057},7278,{"id":1020,"status":13,"user_created":404,"date_created":1021,"user_updated":64,"date_updated":1022,"title":1023,"type":853,"body":1024,"image":1034,"date":1025,"topic":1043,"slug":1027,"activity":1044,"nid":1029,"topics":1045,"activities":1046,"programme":14,"area":14,"websites":1047,"translation_of":14,"language":14,"countries":1048,"tags":1049,"authors":1053,"images":1054,"translations":1055,"content":1056},[382],[826],[41],[826],[732],[1041],[1050,1051,1052],5065,5774,5775,[],[],[],[],{"id":1058,"name":1059,"code":1060,"latitude":1061,"longitude":1062},153,"Malawi","MW",-13.25431,34.30152,[1064,1078,1094],{"id":1050,"news_id":1065,"tags_id":1077},{"id":1020,"status":13,"user_created":404,"date_created":1021,"user_updated":64,"date_updated":1022,"title":1023,"type":853,"body":1024,"image":1034,"date":1025,"topic":1066,"slug":1027,"activity":1067,"nid":1029,"topics":1068,"activities":1069,"programme":14,"area":14,"websites":1070,"translation_of":14,"language":14,"countries":1071,"tags":1072,"authors":1073,"images":1074,"translations":1075,"content":1076},[382],[826],[41],[826],[732],[1041],[1050,1051,1052],[],[],[],[],{"id":180,"name":181},{"id":1051,"news_id":1079,"tags_id":1091},{"id":1020,"status":13,"user_created":404,"date_created":1021,"user_updated":64,"date_updated":1022,"title":1023,"type":853,"body":1024,"image":1034,"date":1025,"topic":1080,"slug":1027,"activity":1081,"nid":1029,"topics":1082,"activities":1083,"programme":14,"area":14,"websites":1084,"translation_of":14,"language":14,"countries":1085,"tags":1086,"authors":1087,"images":1088,"translations":1089,"content":1090},[382],[826],[41],[826],[732],[1041],[1050,1051,1052],[],[],[],[],{"id":1092,"name":1093},1193,"Financial investigations",{"id":1052,"news_id":1095,"tags_id":1107},{"id":1020,"status":13,"user_created":404,"date_created":1021,"user_updated":64,"date_updated":1022,"title":1023,"type":853,"body":1024,"image":1034,"date":1025,"topic":1096,"slug":1027,"activity":1097,"nid":1029,"topics":1098,"activities":1099,"programme":14,"area":14,"websites":1100,"translation_of":14,"language":14,"countries":1101,"tags":1102,"authors":1103,"images":1104,"translations":1105,"content":1106},[382],[826],[41],[826],[732],[1041],[1050,1051,1052],[],[],[],[],{"id":4,"name":5},[],[],[],[],{"id":1113,"status":13,"date_created":1114,"date_updated":1115,"title":1116,"type":721,"body":1117,"date":1118,"topic":1119,"slug":1120,"activity":1121,"nid":1123,"topics":1124,"activities":1125,"programme":14,"area":14,"websites":1126,"language":14,"image":1127,"translation_of":14,"countries":1134,"tags":1178,"authors":1207,"images":1222,"translations":1223,"content":1224},9546,"2022-05-26T22:52:17.000Z","2026-05-29T22:21:41.000Z","Interview: Applying Peru’s non-conviction based forfeiture law in international cases","Oscar Solórzano, Head of Latin America at the Basel Institute on Governance and Senior Asset Recovery Specialist at our International Centre for Asset Recovery, interviewed Dr Hamilton Castro Trigoso, Provincial Prosecutor of the First Provisional Provincial Prosecutor's Office for Extinción de dominio in Lima, on his experiences in investigating and enforcing asset confiscation judgements abroad.\n\nThe case that Hamilton Castro came to talk about is not just any case. It is a _final_ decision that the prosecutor has just obtained in the Peruvian judicial system that recovers part of the assets of a General who collaborated with the criminal organisation led by Vladimiro Montesinos. Montesinos was the Head of Intelligence under the corrupt government of Alberto Fujimori and widely acknowledged as the former President’s right-hand man.\n\nThe General fled the country and died before justice was able to catch him. But it is catching up with his assets and helping ensure they cannot now be enjoyed by his surviving relatives.\n\nInsightful viewers will be able to see and understand the emotion of the prosecutor, who maintains that his job is not only to recover illicit money but also to contribute to restoring the meaning of the word justice in Peru. \n\nYou can [watch the video in Spanish with English subtitles here](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fwatch?v=9-BDbXYfvHg) or read the answers below in English translation.\n\n#### _1 – Solórzano:_ Dr. Castro, what does the confiscation of the Malca account mean for Peru? What does the judgement – after 20 years – signify for the country's fight against corruption?\n\n_Castro:_ The Malca Villanueva case is of utmost importance for Peru for more than one reason.\n\nFirst, because of who the man was. General Malca Villanueva was a prominent member of Alberto Fujimori's government, serving as Minister of the Interior and then Minister of Defence. Afterwards, he was rewarded when he retired from the Ministry of Defense – from the Army – by being made Ambassador of Peru in Mexico. He carried out this diplomatic role for around two years, despite having no experience whatsoever.\n\nSecond, this case carries a message of non-impunity regarding the recovery of illicit assets, even when part of them are held in accounts abroad. An important point about this case is that the criminal justice system in Peru was never able to apprehend General Malca Villanueva, nor his family. He died in 2015 in a resort in Brazil called Santa Catalina.\n\nSo this judgement is extremely important. It sends a message that justice may take time, but it arrives nonetheless.\n\n#### 2 – It has been nearly three years since the Extinción de dominio law entered into force in Peru. How well is this non-conviction based forfeiture mechanism working in the country?\n\nI am optimistic about the implementation of Legislative Decree No. 1373, which is the law that introduces the mechanism of Extinción de dominio in Peru. The results in these two and a half years have been highly positive.\n\nThe Specialised Prosecutors' Offices at the national level have achieved a large number of sentences in various cases. Some of these are extremely important, such as the case of Malca Villanueva, which show that the mechanism of Extinción de dominio is a well-crafted criminal policy tool targeting the assets of criminals. This has been quite well understood by our practitioners and has allowed definitive judgements to be obtained.\n\nCompared to the time it takes to prove the criminal responsibility of accused individuals in traditional criminal proceedings, and to confiscate their assets, Extinción de dominio is much faster.\n\nSo, as I said, I am very optimistic about the implementation of this new law.\n\nOf course there is a long way to go. There are challenges we have to overcome and many tasks we still have to do \\[for instance in relation to mutual legal assistance\\]. We understand, however, that the rules are versatile. We cannot not rule out the possibility that at some point the Extinción de dominio law could be reformed in some aspects. Not just to make the law more effective in terms of prosecuting assets, but also about improving the provisions aimed at protecting the fundamental rights of affected persons.  \n\nAt the practical level, the subsystem suffers the shortcomings of any other prosecutorial body in Peru. But in general terms, both the Judicial Branch and the Public Prosecutor's Office have been able to put in place a specialised subsystem of prosecutors and judges. Their number may increase in the future depending on the workload.\n\n#### 3 - What do you think are the challenges that this tool faces at the international level? What can be done to improve its global application?\n\nThe good success we have had over the last six years in recovering illicit assets abroad, especially in the Fujimori and Montesinos complex of cases, is linked to more than one factor. It was certainly not easy, and the successes are the result of the efforts of a large number of individuals and institutions, both in the requested and requesting States.\n\nWe went knocking on the door of several countries with a new and unknown tool for them. It has taken us several years and a lot of effort to get recognition for our decisions of Extinción de dominio. By doing so, we have learned the difficulties associated with international judicial cooperation in criminal matters.\n\nOne of these problems is the speed with which foreign evidence is obtained from abroad. For that, we have set up in Peru a swift system of legal procedures that include the transfer of evidence from criminal proceedings to Extinción de dominio.\n\nThis has made it possible to save a lot of time, because the criminal proceedings had already gathered abundant evidence in the Malca Villanueva case. This even includes reviews of bank statements and financial information from other countries that were used in Extinción de dominio proceedings.\n\nThe correct interpretation of the principle of speciality in this case has allowed us to use bank information from countries such as Switzerland, Panama or other financial centre in which the accounts that we are trying to recover are located. The modern, correct and lawful interpretation of this principle has allowed us to understand that it is not violated if the information obtained through international judicial cooperation is transferred from criminal proceedings to Extinción de dominio as these proceedings are criminal policy tools conceived to target criminal assets.\n\nThere have been other success factors in recent years, but these first two are fundamental.\n\nI must also mention strategic alliances such as with the Basel Institute on Governance, which has allowed us to better understand the nature of these tools and of international judicial cooperation, and to establish proper and efficient contacts with authorities of other countries. This in turn has allowed us to use other mechanisms, such as spontaneous cooperation or informal information-sharing with the authorities of other countries.\n\nWithin this framework of mutual cooperation, we have been able to move faster and obtain good results in recovering illicit funds deposited in accounts in financial centres such as Switzerland, Luxembourg, Andorra and others.\n\nFinally, it seems to me that these best practices have already had a good result and should be applied in the case of Malca Villanueva's Mexican bank account. The judgement we have obtained in Peru is not sufficient; through the mechanisms of international judicial cooperation, it will have to be transferred to Mexico for execution.\n\nAll the experience that we have acquired in these years and in other cases will be useful to recover the USD 1.5 million or so stashed in Malca's account in Mexico.\n\n#### 4 – What is the key message that prosecutors in other countries should take into account when seeking to recover assets held in foreign jurisdictions?\n\nLegal practitioners, prosecutors and judges in any jurisdiction need to understand that recovering such assets goes beyond what the domestic jurisdiction can do alone.\n\nIt is extremely important to establish partnerships with institutions that allow us to gain a better understanding of the tools of international judicial cooperation. This enables the requesting State to adjust to international standards and the standards of the requested State.\n\nThe point is that judgements in these cases should not remain purely ornamental and domestic, but be duly executed in financial centres like Switzerland, Luxembourg or Andorra.\n\nThese countries have a different legal system and in some cases respond to different legal traditions than Latin American countries. So it is important to establish direct contact with the authorities of those countries in order to understand their standards and ensure that our request for mutual legal assistance is duly executed there.\n\n### More\n\n*   See the [Malca Villanueva news story](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fnews\u002Fperu-orders-confiscation-usd-15-million-stashed-mexico-corrupt-army-general).\n*   Our technical and policy assistance in Peru, and this interview, are supported by the core donors of the International Centre for Asset Recovery as well as the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) Cooperation in Peru through the multi-year [Subnational Strengthening Public Finance Management programme](\u002F\u002F\u002FUsers\u002Foscar.solorzano\u002FDownloads\u002Fgfpsubnacional.pe).\n\n### Watch the video","2021-11-03",[382],"interview-applying-perus-non-conviction-based-forfeiture-law-in-international-cases-2130",[727,1122,5],"Partnerships",2130,[41],[727,1122,5],[732],{"id":1128,"storage":50,"filename_disk":1129,"filename_download":736,"title":1116,"type":737,"created_on":1130,"modified_on":1130,"charset":14,"filesize":1131,"width":740,"height":1132,"duration":14,"embed":14,"description":14,"location":14,"tags":14,"metadata":1133,"focal_point_x":14,"focal_point_y":14,"tus_id":14,"tus_data":14,"uploaded_on":1130},"2199ce1a-125c-40b9-8442-542a35e3a494","2199ce1a-125c-40b9-8442-542a35e3a494.webp","2025-05-12T21:17:23.000Z",36698,788,{},[1135,1159],{"id":1136,"news_id":1137,"countries_id":1153},7281,{"id":1113,"status":13,"user_created":404,"date_created":1114,"user_updated":64,"date_updated":1115,"title":1116,"type":721,"body":1117,"image":1128,"date":1118,"topic":1138,"slug":1120,"activity":1139,"nid":1123,"topics":1140,"activities":1141,"programme":14,"area":14,"websites":1142,"translation_of":14,"language":14,"countries":1143,"tags":1145,"authors":1148,"images":1150,"translations":1151,"content":1152},[382],[727,1122,5],[41],[727,1122,5],[732],[1136,1144],7282,[1146,1147],5776,5777,[1149],1178,[],[],[],{"id":1154,"name":1155,"code":1156,"latitude":1157,"longitude":1158},154,"Mexico","MX",23.6345,-102.55278,{"id":1144,"news_id":1160,"countries_id":1172},{"id":1113,"status":13,"user_created":404,"date_created":1114,"user_updated":64,"date_updated":1115,"title":1116,"type":721,"body":1117,"image":1128,"date":1118,"topic":1161,"slug":1120,"activity":1162,"nid":1123,"topics":1163,"activities":1164,"programme":14,"area":14,"websites":1165,"translation_of":14,"language":14,"countries":1166,"tags":1167,"authors":1168,"images":1169,"translations":1170,"content":1171},[382],[727,1122,5],[41],[727,1122,5],[732],[1136,1144],[1146,1147],[1149],[],[],[],{"id":1173,"name":1174,"code":1175,"latitude":1176,"longitude":1177},171,"Peru","PE",-9.18997,-75.01515,[1179,1193],{"id":1146,"news_id":1180,"tags_id":1192},{"id":1113,"status":13,"user_created":404,"date_created":1114,"user_updated":64,"date_updated":1115,"title":1116,"type":721,"body":1117,"image":1128,"date":1118,"topic":1181,"slug":1120,"activity":1182,"nid":1123,"topics":1183,"activities":1184,"programme":14,"area":14,"websites":1185,"translation_of":14,"language":14,"countries":1186,"tags":1187,"authors":1188,"images":1189,"translations":1190,"content":1191},[382],[727,1122,5],[41],[727,1122,5],[732],[1136,1144],[1146,1147],[1149],[],[],[],{"id":110,"name":111},{"id":1147,"news_id":1194,"tags_id":1206},{"id":1113,"status":13,"user_created":404,"date_created":1114,"user_updated":64,"date_updated":1115,"title":1116,"type":721,"body":1117,"image":1128,"date":1118,"topic":1195,"slug":1120,"activity":1196,"nid":1123,"topics":1197,"activities":1198,"programme":14,"area":14,"websites":1199,"translation_of":14,"language":14,"countries":1200,"tags":1201,"authors":1202,"images":1203,"translations":1204,"content":1205},[382],[727,1122,5],[41],[727,1122,5],[732],[1136,1144],[1146,1147],[1149],[],[],[],{"id":4,"name":5},[1208],{"id":1149,"news_id":1209,"authors_id":1221},{"id":1113,"status":13,"user_created":404,"date_created":1114,"user_updated":64,"date_updated":1115,"title":1116,"type":721,"body":1117,"image":1128,"date":1118,"topic":1210,"slug":1120,"activity":1211,"nid":1123,"topics":1212,"activities":1213,"programme":14,"area":14,"websites":1214,"translation_of":14,"language":14,"countries":1215,"tags":1216,"authors":1217,"images":1218,"translations":1219,"content":1220},[382],[727,1122,5],[41],[727,1122,5],[732],[1136,1144],[1146,1147],[1149],[],[],[],{"id":224,"name":225,"position":14,"image":226},[],[],[],11,{"items":1227,"total":1275},[1228,1368],{"id":1229,"status":13,"sort":14,"title":1230,"description":1231,"slug":1232,"highlights":1233,"region":1234,"area":1237,"image":1239,"content":1252,"tags":1329,"countries":1346},5,"International cooperation in action: recovering illicit assets across borders","How successful collaboration between the Colombian and Guernsey authorities, with support from the Basel Institute on Governance’s International Centre for Asset Recovery, led to the successful enforcement of a non-conviction based confiscation order and the sharing of illicit assets linked to drug crimes.","illicit-assets","- Enabled Colombia’s first successful international asset recovery based on its non-conviction based forfeiture law, with nearly half a million US dollars confiscated and shared across borders.\n- Supported effective cooperation between Colombia and Guernsey, enabling the identification, freezing, confiscation and repatriation of illicit assets through mutual legal assistance.\n- Turned a complex transnational case into a practical precedent, generating lessons and good practices to strengthen future international asset recovery efforts",[1235,1236],"Latin America Caribbean","Europe",[1238],"Asset recovery and enforcement",{"id":1240,"storage":50,"filename_disk":1241,"filename_download":1242,"title":1243,"type":1244,"created_on":1245,"modified_on":1246,"charset":14,"filesize":1247,"width":609,"height":1248,"duration":14,"embed":14,"description":1249,"location":14,"tags":14,"metadata":1250,"focal_point_x":14,"focal_point_y":14,"tus_id":14,"tus_data":14,"uploaded_on":1251},"922c9e2b-65d7-41f5-90e2-678fd8240d49","922c9e2b-65d7-41f5-90e2-678fd8240d49.png","story_illicitassets.png","Story Illicitassets","image\u002Fpng","2026-02-28T22:52:28.000Z","2026-02-28T22:54:30.000Z",868355,681,"The Attorneys General of Colombia (left) and Guernsey (right) signed an asset return agreement in early 2025 following the successful conclusion of the case in 2024.",{},"2026-02-28T22:52:29.000Z",[1253,1274,1285,1296,1307,1318],{"id":1254,"collection":1255,"sort":1256,"stories_id":1257,"item":1270},13,"text",1,{"id":1229,"status":13,"sort":14,"title":1230,"image":1240,"description":1231,"slug":1232,"highlights":1233,"region":1258,"area":1259,"content":1260,"tags":1265,"countries":1267},[1235,1236],[1238],[1254,438,1261,1262,1263,1264],15,16,17,18,[1266,713],8,[1268,1269],3,4,{"id":1271,"text":1272,"class":14,"title":1273,"anchor":14},40,"Asset recovery depends not only on national laws and investigative capacity, but also on effective cooperation between countries holding evidence or assets. Transnational cases are often legally complex and operationally sensitive, particularly when they rely on non-conviction based confiscation. Successful cooperation in such cases can set important precedents, opening the door to future asset recoveries and returns.","The situation",{"id":438,"collection":1255,"sort":1275,"stories_id":1276,"item":1282},2,{"id":1229,"status":13,"sort":14,"title":1230,"image":1240,"description":1231,"slug":1232,"highlights":1233,"region":1277,"area":1278,"content":1279,"tags":1280,"countries":1281},[1235,1236],[1238],[1254,438,1261,1262,1263,1264],[1266,713],[1268,1269],{"id":642,"text":1283,"class":14,"title":1284,"anchor":14},"The International Centre for Asset Recovery, a specialised centre of the Basel Institute on Governance, supported cooperation between authorities in Colombia and Guernsey in the Don Efra case. This was a landmark international asset recovery linked to Colombia’s non-conviction based forfeiture regime, *Extinción de dominio*.\n\nOn 30 November 2023, a Colombian court ordered the non-conviction based forfeiture of funds held in a trust account in Guernsey, amounting to GBP 361,146. The court found that the assets were proceeds of drug trafficking committed by Efraín Antonio Hernández Ramírez, known as “Don Efra”, a notorious cartel leader in the 1990s, and his former spouse. \n\nFollowing mutual legal assistance proceedings between both jurisdictions, Colombia and Guernsey concluded an asset-sharing agreement in London on 30 January 2025, ordering the repatriation of the confiscated assets.\n","What we did",{"id":1261,"collection":1255,"sort":1268,"stories_id":1286,"item":1292},{"id":1229,"status":13,"sort":14,"title":1230,"image":1240,"description":1231,"slug":1232,"highlights":1233,"region":1287,"area":1288,"content":1289,"tags":1290,"countries":1291},[1235,1236],[1238],[1254,438,1261,1262,1263,1264],[1266,713],[1268,1269],{"id":1293,"text":1294,"class":14,"title":1295,"anchor":14},42,"Guernsey’s confiscation of nearly half a million US dollars in criminal proceeds on behalf of Colombia set an important precedent. It marked Colombia’s first successful international asset recovery based on its non-conviction based forfeiture law and demonstrated that such measures can be enforced effectively across borders.\n\nThe case also strengthened operational cooperation between the two jurisdictions. Early and trust-based coordination enabled the identification, freezing, confiscation and repatriation of the assets, while overcoming legal and institutional challenges. The success adds to recent international enforcement of Extinción de dominio decisions by authorities in Peru and Guatemala.","The impact",{"id":1262,"collection":1255,"sort":1269,"stories_id":1297,"item":1303},{"id":1229,"status":13,"sort":14,"title":1230,"image":1240,"description":1231,"slug":1232,"highlights":1233,"region":1298,"area":1299,"content":1300,"tags":1301,"countries":1302},[1235,1236],[1238],[1254,438,1261,1262,1263,1264],[1266,713],[1268,1269],{"id":1304,"text":1305,"class":14,"title":1306,"anchor":14},43,"Beyond the recovery itself, ICAR supported the extraction of key lessons from the case through a dedicated practitioner-focused case study. The takeaways highlight the decisive role of early international cooperation, the importance of identifying beneficial ownership, the value of direct enforcement of foreign confiscation orders and the role of asset-sharing agreements and international standards in strengthening cooperation incentives. By documenting good practices and challenges, the case contributes to wider learning and more effective international asset recovery in future cases.\n\nThrough ICAR, the Basel Institute provides training and support on international cooperation and mutual legal assistance to both victim states and international financial centres. We support multiple transnational cases of corruption and other serious financial crimes.","Wider context",{"id":1263,"collection":1308,"sort":1229,"stories_id":1309,"item":1315},"quote",{"id":1229,"status":13,"sort":14,"title":1230,"image":1240,"description":1231,"slug":1232,"highlights":1233,"region":1310,"area":1311,"content":1312,"tags":1313,"countries":1314},[1235,1236],[1238],[1254,438,1261,1262,1263,1264],[1266,713],[1268,1269],{"id":1275,"quote":1316,"author":1317},"This has been an excellent example of how judicial authorities can work together to ensure the recovery of the proceeds derived from criminal activities.","Luz Adriana Camargo, Attorney General of Colombia",{"id":1264,"collection":1308,"sort":1319,"stories_id":1320,"item":1326},6,{"id":1229,"status":13,"sort":14,"title":1230,"image":1240,"description":1231,"slug":1232,"highlights":1233,"region":1321,"area":1322,"content":1323,"tags":1324,"countries":1325},[1235,1236],[1238],[1254,438,1261,1262,1263,1264],[1266,713],[1268,1269],{"id":1268,"quote":1327,"author":1328},"The case highlights the importance of international co-operation, through intelligence sharing and mutual legal assistance, and demonstrates that non-conviction based asset forfeiture is a powerful tool in the fight to deprive individuals of their ill-gotten gains. The support of the Basel Institute’s International Centre for Asset Recovery has been invaluable, and the success of this case owes a lot to their expertise and their commitment to support the global effort to recover illicit funds.","Megan Pullum KC, His Majesty’s Procureur of Guernsey",[1330,1338],{"id":1266,"stories_id":1331,"tags_id":1337},{"id":1229,"status":13,"sort":14,"title":1230,"image":1240,"description":1231,"slug":1232,"highlights":1233,"region":1332,"area":1333,"content":1334,"tags":1335,"countries":1336},[1235,1236],[1238],[1254,438,1261,1262,1263,1264],[1266,713],[1268,1269],{"id":180,"name":181},{"id":713,"stories_id":1339,"tags_id":1345},{"id":1229,"status":13,"sort":14,"title":1230,"image":1240,"description":1231,"slug":1232,"highlights":1233,"region":1340,"area":1341,"content":1342,"tags":1343,"countries":1344},[1235,1236],[1238],[1254,438,1261,1262,1263,1264],[1266,713],[1268,1269],{"id":4,"name":5},[1347,1360],{"id":1268,"stories_id":1348,"countries_id":1354},{"id":1229,"status":13,"sort":14,"title":1230,"image":1240,"description":1231,"slug":1232,"highlights":1233,"region":1349,"area":1350,"content":1351,"tags":1352,"countries":1353},[1235,1236],[1238],[1254,438,1261,1262,1263,1264],[1266,713],[1268,1269],{"id":1355,"name":1356,"code":1357,"latitude":1358,"longitude":1359},78,"Guernsey","GG",49.46569,-2.58528,{"id":1269,"stories_id":1361,"countries_id":1367},{"id":1229,"status":13,"sort":14,"title":1230,"image":1240,"description":1231,"slug":1232,"highlights":1233,"region":1362,"area":1363,"content":1364,"tags":1365,"countries":1366},[1235,1236],[1238],[1254,438,1261,1262,1263,1264],[1266,713],[1268,1269],{"id":88,"name":89,"code":90,"latitude":91,"longitude":92},{"id":1369,"status":13,"sort":14,"title":1370,"description":1371,"slug":1372,"highlights":1373,"region":1374,"area":1375,"image":1377,"content":1390,"tags":1474,"countries":1575},10,"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.",[1235],[1238,1376],"Green Corruption",{"id":1378,"storage":50,"filename_disk":1379,"filename_download":1380,"title":1381,"type":1244,"created_on":1382,"modified_on":1383,"charset":14,"filesize":1384,"width":1385,"height":1386,"duration":14,"embed":14,"description":1387,"location":14,"tags":14,"metadata":1388,"focal_point_x":14,"focal_point_y":14,"tus_id":14,"tus_data":14,"uploaded_on":1389},"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",[1391,1412,1423,1433,1443,1453,1463],{"id":1392,"collection":1255,"sort":1256,"stories_id":1393,"item":1410},39,{"id":1369,"status":13,"sort":14,"title":1370,"image":1378,"description":1371,"slug":1372,"highlights":1373,"region":1394,"area":1395,"content":1396,"tags":1399,"countries":1409},[1235],[1238,1376],[1392,1271,642,1397,1293,1398,1304],48,49,[1263,1264,1400,1401,1402,1403,1404,1405,1406,1407,1408],19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27,[713,1369,1225],{"id":1355,"text":1411,"class":14,"title":1273,"anchor":14},"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":1271,"collection":1413,"sort":1275,"stories_id":1414,"item":1420},"box",{"id":1369,"status":13,"sort":14,"title":1370,"image":1378,"description":1371,"slug":1372,"highlights":1373,"region":1415,"area":1416,"content":1417,"tags":1418,"countries":1419},[1235],[1238,1376],[1392,1271,642,1397,1293,1398,1304],[1263,1264,1400,1401,1402,1403,1404,1405,1406,1407,1408],[713,1369,1225],{"id":1319,"title":1421,"text":1422},"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":642,"collection":1255,"sort":1268,"stories_id":1424,"item":1430},{"id":1369,"status":13,"sort":14,"title":1370,"image":1378,"description":1371,"slug":1372,"highlights":1373,"region":1425,"area":1426,"content":1427,"tags":1428,"countries":1429},[1235],[1238,1376],[1392,1271,642,1397,1293,1398,1304],[1263,1264,1400,1401,1402,1403,1404,1405,1406,1407,1408],[713,1369,1225],{"id":1431,"text":1432,"class":14,"title":1284,"anchor":14},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":1397,"collection":1308,"sort":1269,"stories_id":1434,"item":1440},{"id":1369,"status":13,"sort":14,"title":1370,"image":1378,"description":1371,"slug":1372,"highlights":1373,"region":1435,"area":1436,"content":1437,"tags":1438,"countries":1439},[1235],[1238,1376],[1392,1271,642,1397,1293,1398,1304],[1263,1264,1400,1401,1402,1403,1404,1405,1406,1407,1408],[713,1369,1225],{"id":1402,"quote":1441,"author":1442},"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":1293,"collection":1255,"sort":1229,"stories_id":1444,"item":1450},{"id":1369,"status":13,"sort":14,"title":1370,"image":1378,"description":1371,"slug":1372,"highlights":1373,"region":1445,"area":1446,"content":1447,"tags":1448,"countries":1449},[1235],[1238,1376],[1392,1271,642,1397,1293,1398,1304],[1263,1264,1400,1401,1402,1403,1404,1405,1406,1407,1408],[713,1369,1225],{"id":1451,"text":1452,"class":14,"title":1295,"anchor":14},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":1398,"collection":1308,"sort":1319,"stories_id":1454,"item":1460},{"id":1369,"status":13,"sort":14,"title":1370,"image":1378,"description":1371,"slug":1372,"highlights":1373,"region":1455,"area":1456,"content":1457,"tags":1458,"countries":1459},[1235],[1238,1376],[1392,1271,642,1397,1293,1398,1304],[1263,1264,1400,1401,1402,1403,1404,1405,1406,1407,1408],[713,1369,1225],{"id":1403,"quote":1461,"author":1462},"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":1304,"collection":1255,"sort":1464,"stories_id":1465,"item":1471},7,{"id":1369,"status":13,"sort":14,"title":1370,"image":1378,"description":1371,"slug":1372,"highlights":1373,"region":1466,"area":1467,"content":1468,"tags":1469,"countries":1470},[1235],[1238,1376],[1392,1271,642,1397,1293,1398,1304],[1263,1264,1400,1401,1402,1403,1404,1405,1406,1407,1408],[713,1369,1225],{"id":1472,"text":1473,"class":14,"title":1306,"anchor":14},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.",[1475,1485,1493,1501,1511,1521,1531,1539,1547,1557,1567],{"id":1263,"stories_id":1476,"tags_id":1482},{"id":1369,"status":13,"sort":14,"title":1370,"image":1378,"description":1371,"slug":1372,"highlights":1373,"region":1477,"area":1478,"content":1479,"tags":1480,"countries":1481},[1235],[1238,1376],[1392,1271,642,1397,1293,1398,1304],[1263,1264,1400,1401,1402,1403,1404,1405,1406,1407,1408],[713,1369,1225],{"id":1483,"name":1484},804,"Natural 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crime",{"id":1402,"stories_id":1512,"tags_id":1518},{"id":1369,"status":13,"sort":14,"title":1370,"image":1378,"description":1371,"slug":1372,"highlights":1373,"region":1513,"area":1514,"content":1515,"tags":1516,"countries":1517},[1235],[1238,1376],[1392,1271,642,1397,1293,1398,1304],[1263,1264,1400,1401,1402,1403,1404,1405,1406,1407,1408],[713,1369,1225],{"id":1519,"name":1520},967,"Organised 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