Counter Trafficking Unit, Financial Intelligence Unit sign MOU

TANGIBLE efforts to strengthen co-operation between the Ministry of National Security’s Counter Trafficking Unit (CTU) and the Ministry of Finance’s Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) were made with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the two.

A release from the Ministry of National Security on Wednesday said the MOU enables the sharing of information for the purpose of investigating matters related to trafficking in persons, money laundering, terrorist financing, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and other related crimes.

The ministry's acting Permanent Secretary Gary Joseph presided over the signing and was joined by acting director of the FIU Nigel Stoddard at a brief ceremony on Monday at the ministry on Abercromby Street, Port of Spain.

Discussions focused on enhancing the efficiency and thoroughness with which human trafficking matters are investigated and strengthening the national counter-trafficking response.

Also present were the CTU's deputy director Kimoy Thomas-Williams; CTU data analyst Anushka Villaruel; the FIU's director of Legal Services, Kylene Dowden; and FIU legal officer I Franka Primus.