Officers from the RGP’s Economic Crime Unit, HM Customs Financial Investigations Team and their Crown Counsel are strengthening their expertise in combatting  economic crime during a two-week intensive course in Gibraltar. 

A statement from the RGP follows below:

The “Investigating Economic Crime and Money Laundering” programme is being  held at Bleak House from the 24th of February to the 7th of March.  

A total of 12 persons are on the course, which is delivered by leading financial crime  specialists and is designed to enhance officers’ expertise in tackling money  laundering, financial fraud and other economic crimes.  

Participants will be provided with advanced investigative techniques, case study  analysis and best practices aligned with international anti-money laundering  standards.  

In addition, officers will also receive additional training on cryptocurrency  investigations and all aspects of domestic and international money laundering. 

Detective Inspector Luis Miguel Garcia White, who heads the RGP’s Economic  Crime Unit, said: “The Royal Gibraltar Police is committed to ensuring that officers  involved in financial investigations receive the necessary development to perform  their roles to the best of their ability. Financial crime is an emerging global threat,  and it is vital that we are equipped to detect, investigate and disrupt illicit financial  activities. To achieve this, we focus on providing ongoing training and professional  development, ensuring our officers are equipped with the skills, knowledge and tools  needed to combat financial crime effectively. This commitment ensures that we  remain at the forefront of tackling financial crime, both locally and internationally.” 

A spokesperson for HM Customs, said: “HM Customs has worked hard to develop its  capabilities for investigating financial crime associated with customs related matters.  This course equips more officers with the right tools to perform this task effectively  and efficiently. The three newly trained customs investigators are key to providing  the organisation with resilience in this area.” 

The Minister for Justice, the Hon Nigel Feetham KC MP, added: “I am pleased to see continued commitment of our law enforcement agencies to their professional  development. The collaboration between the RGP’s ECU and HM Customs Financial  Investigations Team highlights the inter-agency approach in combatting financial  crime. A key priority for my Ministry is fostering cross-agency cooperation and  intelligence sharing.” 

Funding for this training comes from the Gibraltar Recovered Assets Fund, a special  fund established under the Public Finance Act. 

The course will be repeated in November to ensure that all team members receive  the training.