EUBAM carried out another landmark activity recently by inviting Moldovan, Ukrainian and EU partners to Odessa to discuss the confiscation of assets derived from organised crime. Those in attendance also addressed ways of simplifying existing rules and filling important gaps that are being exploited by organised criminal groups, and to enhance the ability of Ukrainian and Moldovan authorities to confiscate assets that have been transferred to third parties.

Joining participants from the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, Ministry of Revenue and Duties, General Prosecutor’s Office and Supreme Court, Customs Service of Moldova, Information and Security Service of Moldova, Moldovan General Prosecutor’s Office and Supreme Court was the Head of the Austrian Criminal Intelligence Service Asset Recovery Office. He shared information about EU best practices in asset recovery issues, including the activity of the Camden Asset Recovery Inter-Agency Network (CARIN) within the permanent secretariat of Europol’s Criminal Asset Bureau.

Analysis from the UN Office for Drugs and Crime suggests that the total of criminal proceeds is likely to amount to some 3.6% of global GDP, equivalent to about $2.1 trillion (2009). The largest portion of transnational organised crime comes from illicit drugs (20% of the total amount). Drug-related proceeds that are money laundered through the financial system are equivalent to between 0.4% and 0.6% of global GDP.