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9 results foundAuthor: Leggett, Ted Title: Transnational Trafficking and the Rule of Law in West Africa: A Threat Assessment Summary: West Africa is arguably the poorest and least stable area on earth. It is also afflicted by a number of transnational trafficking flows, attracted by and aggravating the special vulnerability of this region. This report examines these flows in a similar way, looking at the potential impact on the rule of law, with an eye to facilitating comparison and prioritization. Details: Vienna: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 2009 Source: Year: 2009 Country: Austria URL: Shelf Number: 115646 Keywords: TraffickingTransnational CrimeWest Africa |
Author: Intergovernmental Action Group Against Money Laundering in West Africa Title: Typologies Report on Laundering the Proceeds of Illicit Trafficking in Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances in West Africa Summary: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY I Drug trafficking is the largest source of illicit funds globally. This is largely due to the wide gap between production cost and the final price the consumer pays, especially in Western Europe and North America. For the trafficker, profit is the motive and is largely determined by the risk they are willing to take to deliver the drugs to the highest paying consumer. Locally, massive cannabis cultivation and consumption has been a source of major concern in the not only because of the illegal money it generates but also due to the associated health hazards. In recent years, West Africa has been targeted by drug traffickers from Latin America with large consignment of cocaine which is warehoused in the region and mostly shipped in small quantities to Europe and other destinations using local couriers. The problem has attracted attention at the highest level in the region as well as globally. There are ongoing regional initiatives to address the problem. II As a contribution to that initiative, and in order to have a good understanding of the relationship between money laundering and drug trafficking in the region, this typologies exercise was conducted. The study analyses various facets of the legal and enforcement environment of AML and Drug trafficking in ECOWAS member States. It looked at the vulnerabilities of the region and why West Africa has become a target for drug traffickers. It also looked at the techniques, methods, mechanisms and instruments used by drug traffickers to launder the proceeds of drug trafficking by reviewing relevant case studies and identifying typologies. III Twelve out of fifteen ECOWAS countries were involved in the study. One expert was identified in each of the 12 countries who helped to administer the two questionnaires developed for the study and produced a country report. A typologies workshop was held where country reports were reviewed, including case studies. IV The findings of the study indicates that drug traffickers employ complex means to launder money generated from drug trafficking including the use of lawyers, bureau de change, trade, cash couriers,, front companies, purchase of real estate, etc. V With regard to legal framework, most of the AML laws are quite recent compared to the drug trafficking laws. In some countries, the penalty for drug offences is not proportionate and dissuasive. There is general lack of effectiveness with regard to the enforcement of AML laws across board. Capacity to carry out effective AML investigation is generally low and many ML predicate offences are not investigated for ML. The domination of the informal sector and cash transaction of the economy of the region are obstacles to effective enforcement/implementation of AML measures. The disparity in AML capacity among member States is a source of concern and need to be urgently addressed. VI A number of recommendations were made which, if implemented will help to improve the overall implementation of AML measures both at the member States and at the regional levels. Summary of Findings VII The following is the summary of the major findings of the exercise: A. All countries in West Africa are extremely vulnerable to drug trafficking and related money laundering. The vulnerability is related to geographical, political, legal, institutional, economic and social factors. The large sea coast is either partly or completely unmanned in most parts of the region. Generally, inland borders are porous and not effectively manned across the region. B. Most of the countries have AML laws that were enacted not more than 4 years earlier, and the necessary infrastructure and human capacity to support the execution of the law are still being put in place. In a number of the countries, this process has been stalled by lack of resources. C. The trafficking tends to concentrate in countries with unstable political, social and economical situation and weak controls (legal, enforcement, prosecutorial and judicial). D. The laundering of the money generated from drug trafficking tend to be carried out in stable countries with relatively fair economy in the region where cash dominates transactions and is difficult for authorities to monitor cash inflows and outflows, as well as some in countries outside the region (largely countries where the heads of the networks operate from and the countries of some of the drug couriers from outside of the region). E. Corruption appears to play an important part in the cross-border movement of proceeds of crime as cash or when converted into goods. F. The general lack of capacity to interdict illicit drugs especially cocaine and heroin, makes money laundering almost inevitable due to the prevailing opportunities for money laundering in the informal sector. G. There is general lack of capacity for money laundering investigation in most of the countries coupled with the fact that money laundering investigation has not been fully integrated in drug trafficking investigation in most of the countries. Investigating money laundering during drug investigation does not appear to be a top priority as indicated by the apparent absence of asset seizure and confiscation despite convictions obtained of drug traffickers in most of the countries and the significant drug seizures made. H. Coordination between the investigating agencies and FIUs during drug trafficking related money laundering investigation is very week. The trust factor remains an important element in this lack of coordination. I. Over emphasis of money laundering through the formal financial system undermines overall AML/CFT efforts especially in West Africa where the cash dominated informal sector is the preferred channel for laundering the proceeds of crime, including drug trafficking. J. Reporting entities do not appear to be providing STRs commensurate with the level of the drug trafficking problems in most of the countries. This may be as a result of lack of expertise in ML risk analysis or lack of interest in providing such information. K. Most of the FIUs do not have sufficient analytical expertise to detect drug trafficking related money laundering. Emphasis appears to be placed more on corruption related ML by the FIUs. L. Cross border information sharing both in the control of drug trafficking and related money laundering is virtually absent except where there is a public incidence that affect countries. Details: Dakar, Senegal: GIABA, 2010. 82p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 14, 2019 at: https://www.giaba.org/media/f/118_final-drugs-typologies-report-dev071811---english.pdf Year: 2010 Country: Africa URL: https://www.giaba.org/media/f/118_final-drugs-typologies-report-dev071811---english.pdf Shelf Number: 154138 Keywords: Anti-Money LaunderingCocaineCorruptionDrug TraffickersDrug TraffickingDrug TypologiesECOWASFIUIllicit DrugsMoney LaunderingWest Africa |
Author: Vorrath, Judith Title: From War to Illicit Economies: Organized Crime and State-Building in Liberia and Sierra Leone Summary: Liberia and Sierra Leone are commonly categorized as fragile and conflict-affected states. They are seen as being particularly vulnerable to organized crime due to deficiencies in their criminal justice systems and having insufficient control of their borders. But they also have emerged from peace processes combining state-building with the transformation of war economies. These were strongly based on the competing control of resources such as diamonds, gold, and timber by armed groups and state agents. A closer look at the illicit economies in both countries today reveals the legacy of these war economies and new dynamics that emerged with West Africa becoming a transit zone for South American cocaine destined for Europe. Although the organization of crime differs between sectors, the way it is tied to state-building and power structures in Liberia and Sierra Leone is quite similar. Surely, porous borders and a lack of regulation and effective law enforcement are real in both countries. But often organized criminal activities are linked to the very state that is supposed to build and defend the (reformed) framework of legality. Furthermore, certain components of illicit economies have important implications for development. Therefore, responses to organized crime need to be carefully crafted and should generally apply selective law enforcement measures combined with broader governance reforms and development-related initiatives addressing livelihood, health, and environmental issues. Details: Berlin, Germany: German Institute for International and Security Affairs, 2014. 30p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 16, 2019 at: https://www.swp-berlin.org/fileadmin/contents/products/research_papers/2014_RP13_vrr.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Africa URL: https://www.swp-berlin.org/en/publication/organized-crime-in-liberia-and-sierra-leone/ Shelf Number: 154192 Keywords: Conflict-Affected States Illicit Economies Liberia Natural Resources Organized Crime Sierra Leone State-Building War Economies West Africa |
Author: Environmental Justice Foundation Title: China's Hidden Fleet in West Africa: A Spotlight on Illegal Practices within Ghana's Industrial Trawl Sector Summary: Executive Summary According to Ghana's Fisheries Act of 2002, foreign interests are not permitted to engage in Ghana’s industrial fishing sector by way of joint ventures. This restriction applies to all local (i.e. Ghana-flagged) industrial and semi-industrial vessels, with an exception carved out for tuna vessels. The restriction purports to ensure that the financial benefits accruing from the trawl sector are retained within the country, thereby contributing to Ghana's socio-economic development, rather than being sent overseas. In spite of the existence of these restrictions, foreign interests, in particular from China, are known to be extensive within Ghana’s industrial trawl sector. Chinese companies operate through Ghanaian "front" companies to import their vessels into the Ghanaian fleet register and obtain a licence to fish, setting up opaque corporate structures to circumvent the nationality criteria in the law. With the balance of control invariably resting with the Chinese investor, such arrangements quite clearly contravene the spirit and purpose of the legislation, if not the letter of the law. The result is a complete lack of transparency as regards the true nature of ownership of industrial trawl vessels operating in Ghana. In official sources, such as the vessel licence list and the database of vessels maintained by IHS Seaweb, only the Ghanaian "front" company appears. Further investigation reveals, however, that in reality up to 90-95% of Ghana’s trawl fleet may have some Chinese involvement. This lack of transparency is problematic for a number of reasons, particularly in disguising the true beneficiaries of profits flowing from illicit activities in Ghana’s trawl sector, preventing those individuals from being held to account. In recent years, Ghana’s trawl sector has been plagued by illegalities, most notably the targeting of juvenile and small pelagic fish for trans-shipment at sea to specially adapted canoes (known as "saiko"). Despite being illegal, saiko fishing has increased in recent years, contributing to the rapid deterioration of Ghana’s fisheries resources, and putting livelihoods and food security at risk. The findings of this study highlight the urgent need for extensive reforms in Ghana’s industrial trawl sector, to ensure that fishing activities are carried out in a legal and sustainable manner. As a matter of priority, all necessary steps must be taken to end the illegal and destructive practice of saiko fishing, and to reduce the fishing effort of the industrial trawl fleet in line with scientific advice on the status of fish stocks. Critically, there is a compelling need for greater transparency in the sector, to ensure that the perpetrators of illegal activities can be held to account for their acts. While reducing the cost-burden of management and enforcement operations, improving transparency around fishing agreements would also help to address inequities in benefit flows, whereby local fishing communities and the country as a whole lose out in unbalanced arrangements with foreign operators. The responsibility for these reforms falls on both the Ghanaian and Chinese governments. The Chinese government plays the key role in supporting the fishing operations of its nationals overseas through subsidies and other forms of incentives. Its recent attempt to crack down on illicit activities of Chinese operators in West Africa is to be welcomed. It is imperative that this momentum be sustained, and that Chinese distant water fishing operations under third country flags such as Ghana do not escape scrutiny. Details: London, UK: Environmental Justice Foundation, 2018. 32p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 22, 2019 at: https://ejfoundation.org/reports/chinas-hidden-fleet-in-west-africa-a-spotlight-on-illegal-practices-within-ghanas-industrial-trawl-sector Year: 0 Country: Ghana URL: https://ejfoundation.org//resources/downloads/China-hidden-fleet-West-Africa-final.pdf Shelf Number: 154320 Keywords: China Environmental Crime Fisheries Fishing Industry Ghana Illegal Fishing Industrial Trawl Sector IUU Fishing Saiko Fishing Sea Crime Trawl Vessel West Africa |
Author: Offerdahl, Thomas G. Title: A Systematic Analysis of the Challenges of Policing Senegal: The Role of the Police in Democracy Summary: Little is known about the role of the police in Africa, and even less about the police in francophone African countries. Intrastate conflicts and peace-building after the Cold War tied policing to personal security, democracy, and sustainable development. Senegal has a stable democracy and police forces that were established prior to Senegalese independence in 1960, but it is still uncertain if they can become a police force that contributes to national and personal security capable of dealing with human and narcotic trafficking, transnational crimes, and international terrorism. This study investigates the challenges facing the Senegalese police forces and their impact on the Senegalese national and personal security environment. The primary police services face challenges with resources, capacity, terrorism, and transnational crime. The major finding is that the centralized structure of the Senegalese police, controlled by a semi-authoritarian president and the political elites, prevents the police from becoming a public safety institution able to address matters of personal security. This dynamic isolates the police from the Senegalese citizens and atrophies their ability to combat crime, preventing their development into a public safety institution. Details: Scranton, Pennsylvania: University of Scranton, 2016. 107. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 30, 2019 at: https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/1029883.pdf Year: 2016 Country: Senegal URL: https://calhoun.nps.edu/handle/10945/50607 Shelf Number: 154387 Keywords: AfricaLaw EnforcementNational SecurityPolicePolicingPublic OrderSenegalTerrorismTransnational CrimeWest Africa |
Author: Interpol Title: Overview of Serious and Organized Crime in West Africa Summary: Executive Summary Transnational organized crime in West Africa is a persistent threat. As a result, INTERPOL, under the European Union funded ENACT Project, has sought to catalogue and assess organized crime in the region in order to drive a more strategic law enforcement response. International criminal organizations continue to target the region especially because of the significant illicit wealth that can be generated, stemming from criminal market opportunities that exploit various social and political vulnerabilities, state fragility, limited policing capacities, and corruption. International criminal organizations or networks operate everywhere in the region via key facilitators and bring together a significant array of crime syndicates that provide illicit goods and services everywhere. Crime syndicates remain highly connected across borders and are active in a number of illicit markets, notably drug trafficking, financial crimes, human trafficking, people smuggling, counterfeit goods, organized theft and robbery, environmental crimes, and maritime piracy. In addition, there are a number of enabling crimes such as cybercrime, and the trade in small arms and light weapons that are supporting organized criminality throughout the region, which overlap with all illicit markets noted in complex ways. Organized crime in the region generates huge profits for all involved and there are substantial illicit interregional financial flows and illicit profits heading offshore, plus money laundering occurring on a global scale. The threat from organized crime in West Africa is substantial yet there is limited capacity amongst law enforcement to manage this complex issue. Organized crime is going underreported and undetected, but various data sources reveal the following major activities and dynamics of groups and networks active in the region, which need to be addressed strategically and through building greater partnerships amongst all law enforcement agencies in the region. Details: Lyon, France: Interpol, 2018. 28p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 9, 2019 at: https://enactafrica.org/research/analytical-reports/interpol-overview-of-serious-and-organised-crime-in-west-africa-2018 Year: 2018 Country: Africa URL: https://enact-africa.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/2018-12-12-interpol-west-africa-report.pdf Shelf Number: 154306 Keywords: Counterfeit Goods Criminal Networks Drug Trafficking Environmental Crimes Financial Crimes Human Trafficking International Criminal Organizations Money Laundering Organized Crime People Smuggling Transnational Organized Crime West Africa |
Author: Alemika, E.O Title: Police Internal Control Systems in West Africa Summary: The problem of how to make the police effective and accountable to the community it serves has continued to be of major concern to policing policy makers, scholars and civil society groups in many democratic societies as with societies in transition. Central to this concern is the timeworn question of how and who to monitor or oversee police exercise of the enormous, coercive and often-intrusive powers and discretion entrusted to them under the law? To this question, there have not been simple answers or easy solutions but continuing debates and dilemmas. Three issues stand out in the debates and dilemmas: How do you make the police more accountable without impeding the legitimate pursuit of their duties? What form or forms of accountability processes and mechanisms do you put in place? Do you rely on the police internal controls processes, external ones or a hybrid? The first issue raises the enduring problem and complexities involved in balancing a clash of rights, namely, personal liberty with state security, and individual rights with collective rights. It further seeks to address a continuing concern of many police managers who complain that the existing accountability safeguards are too onerous and multifarious, as they police are being made to fight crime with one hand tied behind their backs. The second and third issues acknowledge the necessity of having an effective police accountability system but raise the questions of the nature, form and structure of such accountability system in the face of obvious limited options and choices. It would appear from emerging policy focus that scholars, civil society actors and reform minded policy makers place much premium on developing the external forms of police oversight at the expense of the internal disciplinary control structures. From the advanced democracies of the West to the developing structures in Africa, Asia and Latin America, legislative, judicial and other administrative measures are extensively being used to establish, restructure or strengthen external police accountability structures. Justifications for this policy trend and focus came from various sources and appear to be predicated on the perceived weaknesses of the police internal disciplinary control systems, which are that: a. The police system of internal control is not open and independent. b. The process does not inspire public and complainants confidence. c. Police cannot be trusted to investigate complaints against their own, as the police culture of mutual support remains a permanent threat. d. Substantiation rates of such complaints are very low. These negative perceptions of internal control processes and mechanisms have continued to influence policing policies to this day. It has also raised and created high and promising expectations about what these external bodies can possibly achieve. It would appear that enthusiasm generated by the extensive and one-sided promotion of external oversight of policing has not yielded the expected democratic dividends. With very mixed performance records, limited resources, limited capacity and low verifiable impact on police misconduct, the huge investments put on the external oversight structures appear to have not been matched by significant and verifiable concrete outcomes. It soon became clear that for the external oversight mechanisms to be effective in holding the police accountable for their conduct, the internal control processes and mechanisms need to be strengthened and needs to be cultivated by the external. However, for the internal control systems of the police to play the expected complementary role, they need to be effective, rigorously enforced through both formal and informal means and more importantly internalized by the officers in such a way that it would influence their attitudes and organizational culture (Chukwuma, 2003). Unfortunately, the internal control systems in many police forces are not clear, not rigorously enforced or internalized by police officers. Instead, they seem to be neglected and left in a very dysfunctional state - unsupported in terms of policy guides, reviews and adequate resources for their work. This continuing neglect has created serious accountability problems in police service delivery in many transitional societies in Africa, where both the internal and external processes of accountability are very weak, unstructured and uncoordinated. This study is therefore an effort of the CLEEN Foundation to better understand the internal control systems of police forces in West Africa with a view to identifying the challenges they face and recommend measures that could be implemented by various stakeholders to address the problem areas with a view to positioning police internal disciplinary systems as important complements to external accountability mechanisms that are being established in the region. The publication is divided into six chapters reflecting experiences of six countries: Nigeria, Ghana, Gambia, Liberia, Senegal and Cameroon. Details: Lagos, Nigeria: CLEEN Foundation, 2011. 137p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 17, 2019 at: http://new.cleen.org/Police%20Internal%20Control%20in%20West%20Africa.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Africa URL: http://new.cleen.org/Police%20Internal%20Control%20in%20West%20Africa.pdf Shelf Number: 154001 Keywords: Complaints Against Police Police Police Accountability Police Misconduct Police Oversight Police Performance Policing West Africa |
Author: Alemika, E.O Title: Crime and Public Safety in Nigeria Summary: Problems of crime and disorder cannot be prevented or solved without reliable information on their causes, incidence, prevalence and pattern. Crime victimization survey is one of the instruments for investigating the dynamics of crime in a society. In 2006, CLEEN Foundation, a Nigerian foremost not-for-profit Non-Governmental Organisation pioneered national crime victimization survey based on nationally representative sample. The survey covered experience of crime victimization within the country by Nigerian citizens in 2005. The present report is the sixth annual national crime survey conducted by CLEEN Foundation, and covered crime victimization in the year 2012. All the previous surveys were published and are accessible at the website of the Foundation (www.cleen.org). The current report analysed crime victimization for the year 2012. Several of the chapters compared the results for the year with those from the previous surveys. A unique feature of the present report is that the analysis consciously incorporated the development of the capacity of the staff of the Foundation in survey data analysis. Readers will discover that most of the chapters were written by the Staff of CLEEN Foundation. Therefore, as should be expected, there is discernible variation in the level and style of analysis and presentation across the chapters. Nonetheless, the decision to involve the staff in the analysis of the survey is necessary for capacity building and sustainability. There are three major approaches to the measurement of crime in society. These are official statistics, frequently derived from incidents reported to the police; victimisation and self-reported crime surveys. The three measures focus on different aspects of crime and are not alternatives but rather complementary sources. Criminology literature across the world consistently show that majority of crimes, especially minor violations, are not often reported to the police. The proportion of crimes reported to the police is determined by several factors, including, seriousness of the crime, perceived efficiency and responsiveness of the police force, relationship between the public and the police and accessibility of the police. Victimization and self reported crime surveys generate better picture of the incidence and prevalence of crimes. However, literature show that self-report survey tend to capture less serious crime more accurately than serious crimes, as perpetrators of serious crimes rarely admitted their act, if not caught. The reliability of victimization and self-report crime surveys may be affected by several factors, especially forgetfulness of events and reporting events that occurred outside a survey period. Law enforcement agencies and officials as well as scholars, policy makers should therefore avail themselves of the crime information available from the three sources. The report covered several areas investigated in the survey. Chapters analysed different aspects such as the incidence and pattern of crime victimization in 2012; domestic and sexual violence; informal policing; insurgency and terrorism, police crime and intelligence; corruption, road safety, and human rights. Readers will gain from reading the report. After reading it, policy makers and the leadership of the security agencies should be able to appreciate the value of crime and victimization surveys and take appropriate measures to institutionalise them to serve as complementary sources of information on crime, disorder, safety and policing that can be used to aid formulation and implementation of policies; law enforcement planning and operations. Details: Lagos, Nigeria: CLEEN Foundation, 2014. 205p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 17, 2019 at: http://new.cleen.org/Crime%20and%20Public%20Safety%20in%20Nigeria.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Nigeria URL: http://new.cleen.org/Crime%20and%20Public%20Safety%20in%20Nigeria.pdf Shelf Number: 155002 Keywords: Crime Database Crime Survey Measurement of Crime Nigeria Public Safety Self Report Surveys Victimization Surveys West Africa |
Author: Sigsworth, Romi Title: Counter-Terrorism, Human Rights and the Rule of Law in West Africa Summary: International law and global policy place counter-terrorism firmly within a rule of law and human rights framework. By focusing on securitised responses to terrorism, countries in West Africa risk undermining the rule of law, compromising human rights protections and slowing progress towards their peace and development agendas. Shifting to a criminal justice approach to countering terrorism has various challenges, but will most effectively protect and promote peace and security, human rights and development in the long term. Details: Dakar, Senegal: Institute for Security Studies, 2019. 32p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 28, 2019 at: https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/war-24.pdf Year: 2019 Country: Africa URL: https://issafrica.org/research/west-africa-report/counter-terrorism-human-rights-and-the-rule-of-law-in-west-africa Shelf Number: 156062 Keywords: Counter-Terrorism Countering Violent Extremism Counterterrorism Human Rights Radicalization Rule of Law Terrorism West Africa |