Attorney General Dale Marshall has underscored the importance of international cooperation and exchange of information in the fight against transnational organisational crime.
He made this observation recently while delivering welcome remarks at a virtual meeting of Caribbean Attorneys General hosted by the United States Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) and the National Center for States Courts (NCSC).
Mr. Marshall told the virtual audience that the meeting organised by the INL and NCSC was timely as some countries were implementing FATF designed Action Plans in which information sharing, or the lack thereof, through mutual legal assistance and other arrangements, is highlighted.
He added: “I am pleased that the Caribbean region is being exposed to yet another tool that will strengthen our response to crime, and bolster our ability to recover assets gained through illegal cross border activities. It is no secret that the Caribbean has witnessed an evolution in the type of crime it faces, with many of the manifestations of transnational organised crime evident at the same time, for example, narcotics trafficking, accompanied by firearms trafficking, human trafficking and money laundering.”
Further, Mr. Marshall disclosed that Barbados is one of three Caribbean countries that had drafted an International Cooperation Fiche document, which was placed on the NCSC’s Financial Crimes website. He noted that such a document “bode well for each of our respective territories”.
In this connection, the Attorney General pledged to lend assistance to sister territories desirous of establishing fiches in their respective jurisdictions.
“By the end of this meeting, I hope that we can commit as a region to the development of fiches by year end. Here’s to us and our pledge as Attorneys General as we advance our regional legal enterprise, on this occasion, aimed specifically to stem the tide of transnational organised crime,” Mr. Marshall stated.