17 people charged with laundering more than $14M

At yesterday’s weekly press briefing at the Police Administration Building in Port of Spain, acting Assistant Superintendent of the FIB Wendell Lucas said the figure highlights the need for the Police Service and its partners to step up operations to treat with the issue of financial crime specifically money laundering .

“For the year thus far, the FIB has seized $991,044 for money laundering operations and we continue to work with our stakeholders and law enforcement partners from the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, Customs and Excise, the Immigration Department and the Board of Inland Revenue.” Lucas said terrorist financing remains a top priority for the FIB. He said although there has been no prosecution in relation to terrorist financing thus far, the branch continues to work closely with its partners for intelligence gathering and exchange .

Asked how people suspected of terror affiliations were monitored upon their return to this country, Lucas said the financial transactions and activities of those people would be closely investigated .

“The Special Branch is really the arm of the Police Service that leads the way as far as returning suspected terrorists are concerned. However, what the FIB can do is monitor the finances of these individuals to determine where they are getting there funding and hopefully launch an investigation.” Asked if the FIB has any capacity to quell the recent trend of terrorists using social media site ‘GoFundMe’ to acquire funds, Lucas said such issues are forwarded from the branch by the FIU which would investigate the matter .