UFA Typologies Workshop: Trans-Pacific Drug Trafficking
The UFA Typologies Workshop on Trans-Pacific Drug Trafficking was held in Auckland, New Zealand, on 29-30 January, hosted by the Government of New Zealand and the Department of Justice.
The workshop was a key element of the UFA Typologies Working Group project being led by Tonga and Vanuatu. The aim of the project is to assist international cooperation on money laundering (ML) and terrorist financing (TF) investigations and prosecutions related to trans-Pacific drug trafficking.
The meeting was jointly chaired by the Project Co-leads, Tonga and Vanuatu, and was attended by 48 delegates from 15 UFA member and observer jurisdictions and five international and regional organisations.
Delegates discussed the following topics:
Regional and global experience of drug trafficking, including the financial investigation issues and challenges.
Money laundering (ML) and terrorist financing (TF) risks and vulnerabilities associated with trans-Pacific drug trafficking.
Individual cases, red flag indicators and patterns and trends within (and affecting) the Pacific, including the involvement of organised crime networks.
Sponsorship funding for priority delegates to attend this event was provided by UFA members, Chinese Taipei, New Zealand and the United States.