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alexk
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Over the past seven years, the Financial Investigations Branch (FIB) of the T&T Police Service (TTPS) has charged 18 people in relation to laundering almost $20 million.
The unit also successfully forfeited $418,387,40, US$138,620 and EC$28,000 to the State from money launders during the period.
The statistics were revealed by ASP Terrence Pierre, while speaking at the weekly police press briefing, at the Police Administration Building in Port-of-Spain, yesterday.
Pierre said between March and last month, the unit charged one man with laundering US$693,040 and made five cash forfeiture applications before the courts for the seizure of $600,889 and US$1,022.
Pierre claimed that the unit is expected to increase its workload after being assigned 17 new investigators in May.
“These officers passed through a three-week training programme which offered them the opportunity to be exposed to a wide range of topics and techniques in investigating financial crimes,” Pierre said, as he noted that the unit was also building its capacity by facilitating training on terrorist financing.
He said the FIB dealt exclusively with investigating money laundering and terrorist financing, while the Anti-Corruption Investigations Bureau (ACIB) and Fraud Squad pursue money laundering investigations in cases where it results from corruption or fraud.
He congratulated the ACIB for its investigation into corruption at the San Juan/Laventille Regional Corporation, which resulted in nine people being charged with money laundering, last month.
They were charged for offences relating to $22.5 million in a payroll scam which occurred between 2011 and last year.
Investigators are still searching for two others linked to the crime.