AUSTRALIAN HIGH COMMISSION
ISLAMABAD
 

18 November 2011

Press Release

Australia trains Pakistan Government officials to confiscate proceeds of crime

From 14 to 18 November 2011 the Australian Government, in conjunction with the Pakistan Ministry of Finance, held a workshop on confiscating the proceeds of crimes such as corruption, fraud, drug smuggling and money laundering.

Financial profit is the main driver for organised crime groups, and greed and power are their key motivation. The workshop focused on strengthening Pakistan’s capacity to detect organised crime, target criminal organisations, and remove the lure of criminal activity by confiscating ill-gotten gains.

The workshop is part of strong and ongoing collaborative efforts between Pakistan and Australia to combat crime in our region, and to build the capacity of Pakistan’s institutions through technical assistance and training. It presented a significant opportunity for discussion about the effective use of asset forfeiture laws in combating criminal activity.

More than 30 Pakistani officials attended the workshop from agencies including the National Accountability Bureau, the State Bank and Ministry of Finance as well as investigators and prosecutors from the provinces.
 

Contact: Melissa Kelly, ph. 051 8355500