Financial crimes investigations capacity building for police agencies.

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July 01, 2024

African Union Mechanism for Police Cooperation (AFRIPOL) has embarked on a five-day training of police agencies on financial crimes investigations. Numerous challenges posed by the rapid digitalization of the financial sector has led to an increase in sophisticated cybercrime such as business email compromise (BEC), phishing, Pig Butchering and various other forms of online fraud, which are becoming even more prevalent as the continent moves towards a more digital economy.

These developments reflect a significant shift in the nature of financial fraud in Africa, with local and transnational criminal groups leveraging new technologies to expand their activities and impact, highlighting the need for enhanced regional and international cooperation to address these complex threats. This training organized jointly with INTERPOL in Harare, Zimbabwe from 1 to 5 July 2024, seeks to develop the capabilities of law enforcement agencies from across Africa, through training, operations and investigations, criminal analysis and exchange of information, knowledge and adopt best practices through the continent.

The program is designed to strengthen skills in analysing, investigating and prosecuting complex corruption offences, financial crimes and money laundering cases, and the recovery of criminal proceeds, in addition to developing capacity and knowledge in partner countries in order to increase their autonomy in the fight against financial crime and money laundering, as well as financial fraud. An additional benefit is the improvement of regional, international and inter-institutional collaboration in cases of corruption, money laundering and financial fraud.

About AFRIPOL

AFRIPOL is an institution of the African Union tasked with enhancing the collaboration among police forces of AU Member States to prevent and combat transnational organized crime, terrorism, and cybercrime. The organization’s statutes were endorsed by the Conference of AU Heads of State and Government in January 2017 and became effective forthwith. It supports the police services of its 55 member states by bolstering their capabilities and facilitating the exchange of resources and expertise to advance investigations and break up organized networks responsible for diverse and often interconnected cybercriminal activities.

AFRIPOL developed a strategy to combat cybercrime, which is fully in line with the African Union's strategic plan. This strategy recognizes the importance of working in a spirit of collaboration with the various fights against all forms of crime in order to guarantee the coherence and effectiveness of the approach aimed at combating transnational crime and tackling all dimensions of the problem.

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