– AG says as ARIN-CARIB meeting opens
Guyana is advancing its anti-money laundering and asset recovery framework while strengthening regional cooperation to ensure criminals are stripped of the proceeds of crime and to combat transnational organised activities.
Attorney General (AG) and Minister of Legal Affairs, Mohabir Anil Nandlall, SC, made the assertion on Wednesday at the opening of the 2026 Annual General Meeting of the Asset Recovery Inter-Agency Network of the Caribbean (ARIN-CARIB) at the Guyana Marriott Hotel in Kingston, Georgetown.
The ARIN-CARIB is a network of law enforcement and judicial practitioners in the field of asset tracing, freezing, seizure and confiscation.
Each member state is represented by a law enforcement officer and a judicial expert.
The AG said asset recovery has become one of the most powerful tools in combating transnational organised crime while noting that modern criminal networks operate across borders and exploit increasingly sophisticated financial systems.
“Asset recovery is no longer simply about identifying and confiscating criminal proceeds. It is about transforming the way our institutions operate, strengthening our legal framework, enhancing public confidence in the administration of justice, and ensuring that organised crime can never retain the financial rewards of criminal conduct.”
He explained that organised crime now extends beyond drug trafficking to include firearms trafficking, cybercrime, human trafficking, environmental crime, corruption and money laundering, all of which are supported by complex international financial networks.
Against this backdrop, Minister Nandlall underscored the importance of regional collaboration.
He noted that criminal organisations cooperate seamlessly across jurisdictions, making international partnerships among governments, investigators, prosecutors and financial intelligence agencies more critical.
The legal affairs minister also disclosed that the government is reviewing amendments to Guyana’s Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) legislation to further strengthen asset confiscation provisions, improve investigative powers and align the country’s legal framework with international standards.
He said Guyana has also expanded the use of mutual legal assistance mechanisms, strengthened information-sharing with international partners and increased collaboration through ARIN-CARIB and the Egmont Group to pursue cross-border financial investigations.
Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Shalimar Ali-Hack, SC, noted that modern crime is no longer confined by geographical boundaries, with advances in technology enabling criminal networks to operate across jurisdictions with ease.
Emphasising the importance of effective investigations, the DPP said successful prosecutions and asset recovery depend on investigators having a strong understanding of the law, gathering credible evidence and working closely with regional counterparts.
“The maintenance of law and order is vital to democracy. The fight against crime is everybody’s business,” Ali-Hack affirmed.
Deputy Executive Director of the Regional Security System (RSS) Atlee Rodney warned that criminal networks continue to operate across borders with increased sophistication.
He underscored that asset recovery is more than identifying and confiscating illicit wealth.
The ARIN-CARIB general meeting 2026 is being held under the theme, “From Tracing to Transformation: Building an Asset Recovery-Ready Caribbean.”