It will now be difficult for criminals to stash away wealth acquired through criminal activities following a move by the International Police (Interpol) to develop a tool to assist member countries in recovering illicit criminal assets. 

The new additional tool was among the topics of discussion at the 84th Interpol General Assembly underway in Kigali.

A proposal to begin the initial steps of developing a pilot project to implement the new notice was then approved by member countries present at the forum.

If adopted, the new addition to the system of global police alerts, dubbed "Notices,” will be dedicated to the tracing and recovery of assets obtained through criminal activity.

Globally, there are numerous instances where persons who acquire their wealth illegally, ‘hide’ it away, making it difficult to track even after their arrest.

According to a statement released yesterday following a closed-door meeting of the delegates, the new notice is set to complement Interpol’s ongoing support to member countries in identifying, locating and seizing assets obtained through corruption and other illegal activities.

In tracking assets acquired through criminal activities, the International Police currently relies on a global platform for information exchange, a network of dedicated asset recovery specialists in more than 115 countries, access to best practices and investigative techniques, and regular workshops and training sessions on corruption and asset recovery.

"With asset recovery also high on the agenda of the Conference of the States Parties to the United Nations Convention Against Corruption being held this week in Russia, Interpol’s decision further highlights the importance of international cooperation in recovering stolen assets and preventing criminals from deriving financial gain from their crimes,” the statement reads in part.

Supporting global asset recovery investigations will also be the focus of the upcoming 6th Global Focal Point Conference on Asset Recovery in India later this month, organised by Interpol’s Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes unit and the Stolen Asset Recovery Initiative.

The ongoing conference which opened on Monday is under the theme, "Interpol 2020: Policing Global Threats in a Dynamic Environment.”

More than 850 delegates from 149 countries are attending the four-day meeting.

Other discussions to be held centre around a range of current policing and security issues, including cross-border challenges faced by police such as terrorism, the organised criminal groups behind drug and human trafficking, and the different facets of cybercrime.

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