Prosecutor General Abbas Shareef has emphasised that robust systems of intelligence sharing and joint investigations among law enforcement agencies across countries represent the most effective means of preventing criminals from fraudulently extorting money from unsuspecting victims.
The chief prosecutor delivered these remarks while leading the Maldivian delegation at the 35th annual meeting of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, which is currently underway in Vienna.
Addressing delegates from member states, PG Abbas highlighted the concerning intersection between technological advancement and criminal activity. According to the PG, as technology advances in the world, the proportion of crimes committed using these devices has increased significantly, adding that organised crimes leveraging digital tools have risen notably within the Maldives. The scale of this problem extends far beyond any single nation, with the chief prosecutor revealing that scam cases across Southeast Asia result in annual financial losses ranging between USD 18 billion and USD 37 billion.
He emphasised that the predominantly transnational nature of these fraudulent operations demands a unified response from the international community. The majority of these cases are trans-national fraud cases, and preventing such scams should not be seen as a separate task for countries, he asserted. PG Abbas argued that addressing this challenge effectively requires establishing strong mechanisms for intelligence sharing and collaborative investigations that transcend national borders.
He also pointed to the uneven distribution of investigative resources among nations as a critical factor requiring attention. He explained that countries possess varying capacities to investigate fraud cases involving sophisticated technological tools, making resource sharing essential. Especially small countries like Maldives need the assistance of large countries with resources, he added.
Despite these challenges, PG Abbas assured the international community of Maldives' commitment to collaborative efforts. During the conference, PG Abbas met with senior officials from various national criminal justice systems to engage in extensive discussions regarding mutual assistance frameworks.
The Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice serves as the United Nations' principal criminal justice policy-making body. The delegation representing Maldives at this year's conference includes the Prosecutor General alongside senior lawyers from the PG Office. Maldives also participated actively in various sessions throughout the conference, which runs from 1 to 5 June in Vienna, Austria.