Maldives ready to collaborate with international partners to combat scams and fraud: PG
Prosecutor General Abbas Shareef has called for enhanced international intelligence sharing and collaborative efforts to combat the rising tide of technology-driven scams. Speaking at a conference in Austria, the Prosecutor General emphasized that small nations like the Maldives require the support of larger countries to dismantle sophisticated criminal networks. He further reaffirmed the Maldives' commitment to providing full cooperation to international partners in the global fight against cybercrime.
Prosecutor General (Retired Justice) Al-Usthaadh Abbas Shareef. | PG Office
Prosecutor General Justice (Ret.) Abbas Shareef has called for international cooperation to dismantle organized networks engaged in defrauding and robbing individuals of their money.
Speaking at the 35th Session of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ) currently held in Vienna, Austria, Prosecutor General Justice (Ret.) Abbas Shareef highlighted that the rapid global advancement of technology has led to a significant surge in technology-driven crimes. The Prosecutor General further noted that the Maldives has also experienced a substantial increase in such organized criminal activities.
The Prosecutor General noted that financial losses from scams in Southeast Asia alone are estimated to reach between $18 billion and $37 billion annually, highlighting that a significant portion of these cases involve transnational fraud. He emphasized that efforts to curb such scams should not be viewed as a task for individual nations to tackle alone. Instead, he stated that success can only be achieved by establishing robust systems for intelligence sharing and conducting joint investigations among international law enforcement agencies.
In his remarks, he highlighted the varying levels of technological capabilities across nations to investigate sophisticated scams perpetrated through digital platforms. He emphasized the critical importance of international cooperation and the sharing of resources between countries to effectively combat these crimes. Furthermore, he noted that small nations like the Maldives require significant support and assistance from larger countries that possess more advanced technological infrastructure and resources.
He stated that the Maldives stands ready to collaborate with other nations in this field and will continue to provide all possible cooperation and assistance to support international investigations of this nature.
The Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ) is the principal United Nations body responsible for establishing criminal justice policies.
Maldivian representatives participated in several panel discussions during various sessions of this year's conference. On the sidelines of the event, the Prosecutor General met with senior officials from the criminal justice systems of several countries, engaging in extensive discussions regarding mutual cooperation and assistance.
In addition to the Prosecutor General, the office's delegation at this year's conference includes Senior Public Prosecutor Mohamed Abdulla, Ashfag Naeem, and Ahmed Aiman Ali.
The conference is being held in Vienna, Austria, from June 1 to 5.
