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Asset recovery training in the Dominican Republic  

Santo Domingo, April 16, 2021. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime for Central America and the Caribbean (UNODC ROPAN), through the CRIMJUST Program, funded by the European Union, delivered the training on asset recovery against illicit drug trafficking, an initiative in collaboration with the Network of Anti-Drug Prosecutors of Ibero-America and the Ibero-American Association of Public Prosecutors.

The opening ceremony was attended by José Vila del Castillo, UNODC Regional Representative; H.E. Gianlucca Grippa, Head of the European Union Delegation in the Dominican Republic; Luis González, Prosecutor and point of contact with the Network of Anti-Drug Prosecutors of the Dominican Republic and Ignacio de Lucas Martín, Coordinator of the AIAMP Network of Anti-Drug Prosecutors and Prosecutor of the Special Anti-Drug Prosecutor's Office of Spain.

"The Latin American continent, home to the three largest cocaine producers in the world, is particularly vulnerable to illicit financial flows, which threaten and undermine its state institutions and erode legitimate trade," said Vila del Castillo, adding that "now, more than ever, it is urgent that we strengthen coordination between law enforcement and prosecutors within and between countries, and that we develop improved mechanisms for international cooperation in asset recovery".

"We hope that this activity will allow the achievement of new tools for the strengthening of their capacities and to be able to generate among all the mechanisms required for asset recovery," said Vila del Castillo.

The workshop, held from April 12 to 16, was attended by 20 prosecutors and 10 members of the National Police and some of the topics discussed were: legal basis for the prosecution of assets and financial intelligence in the experience of the Dominican Republic; strategies for criminal prosecution in narco-criminal organizations in Panama: asset recovery; planning of criminal investigation and asset recovery; ways for asset recovery; prosecution of corruption associated with drug trafficking and international experiences.