Egypt has been tireless in combating illegal immigration and human trafficking, and cracking down on the profits they generate.
This statement by Counselor Ahmed Saeed Khalil, chairman of the Egyptian Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Combating Unit (EMLCU) came during a three-day regional conference on the challenges and priorities in fighting disguised proceeds from human trafficking and illegal immigration.
The conference opened in the Red Sea resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh yesterday.
“Human trafficking and people smuggling are the world’s most organised crimes generating profits worth billions of dollars,” Khalil said.
“There are many forms of human trafficking, including forced labour, forced marriage and organ trafficking. Those involved always resort to hiding their illegal gains by setting up imaginary companies and false bank accounts, or purchasing luxury cars and apartments,” Khalil added.
The Egyptian authorities concerned are working together to combat such crimes through the National Committee for Combating Human Trafficking and Illegal Immigration, he said.
Egypt is keen to co-operate more closely with other countries to exchange information in the fight again this category of crime, he added.
Khalil stressed the need for greater co-ordination between all national authorities concerned to conduct periodical financial investigations into issues related to human trafficking.
“This will help in cracking down on the proceeds from these crimes and deterring their perpetrators,” he said.
Confronting these crimes at international level requires intensive co-operation among countries that are signatories to international agreements in the fight against organised crime, Khalil said, referring to the role of the EMLCU in developing Egyptian measures against money laundering.
Several Arab and African financial experts are taking part in the three-day event, which is organised by the United Nations office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
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