25-27 February 2019 - The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime for Central America and the Caribbean in Panama (UNODC-ROPAN), within the framework of the Project for the Consolidation of the Procedural Reform in Panama funded by Panamanian Government; and the CRIMJUST Global Programme for Strengthening Criminal Investigation and Criminal Justice Cooperation along the Cocaine Route in Latin America, the Caribbean and West Africa, funded by the European Union; held a Workshop on Money Laundering as an enabling tool of drug trafficking, addressed to judges, public defenders and prosecutors in Panama City.
This activity was attended by 20 law enforcement officers, among them 15females and 5 males. The purpose of this workshop was to provide a general perspective on money laundering related to drug trafficking from a national and international standpoint focusing on identifying typologies, the structure of organized crime, and formulating the practical aspects of the investigation.
The first day involved the discussion of the global and regional context of drug trafficking; the current international legal framework; the risk posed by money laundering and financing of terrorism within the national context.
The second day focused on the procedural aspects of the investigation; criminal responsibility of legal persons; asset recovery and the importance of international cooperation instruments; as well as case analysis exercises.
The third day addressed special investigation and financial investigation techniques in cases of organized crime and precautionary measures; revision of Panamanian jurisprudence and more practical case analyzing activities.
As a result of the workshop, participants expanded their knowledge of money laundering, especially of the modalities used by organized crime organizations and the legal tools available to reinforce investigations and effective prosecution of cases, thereby strengthening their investigations and reinforcing the effective management of cases.
Under the framework of the CRIMJUST project funded by European Union Cocaine Route Programme, UNODC and its partners (INTERPOL and TI) aim to assist Member States to enhance their capacity and integrity of criminal justice institutions to detect, investigate, prosecute and adjudicate illicit cocaine trafficking cases, and to foster cooperation at the interregional level for effective action to tackle drug trafficking and related organized crime.
For more information:
- European Union "Cocaine Route Programme"