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Chicago, Dec. 10, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As part of their efforts to combat the illicit trafficking of flora and fauna across the globe, ACAMS, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the Wildlife Justice Commission (WJC) have launched a free training certificate to aid law enforcement officials in the use of financial intelligence and other data when initiating and expanding investigations into the illegal wildlife trade (IWT). By outlining investigative strategies for law enforcement agencies targeting large-scale trafficking operations, the Ending Illegal Wildlife Trade – A Practical Guide for Law Enforcement Certificate takes direct aim at a major transnational crime that fosters corruption, threatens biodiversity, and generates up to $23 billion in criminal proceeds annually.
Recipients of this first-of-its-kind certificate will learn how to analyze various intelligence streams for the purpose of identifying the best entry point for an IWT investigation, expand their ongoing probes to account for related money laundering and fraud schemes, and solicit international cooperation that can help uncover the role of illicit financial flows and the exploitation of shell and front companies, among other steps. Successful applicants must complete one hour of self-study in addition to completing five questions, under the program.
The initiative follows the launch of the Ending Illegal Wildlife Trade – A Comprehensive Overview certificate in October 2020, which provided introductory-level training on the steps that financial institutions can take to identify, report, mitigate, and remedy the compliance risks associated with the three stages of trafficking supply chains, including guidance on detecting manipulated import-export data and the misuse of shell firms.
“While our first IWT certificate program offered a look at the compliance side of fighting wildlife trafficking, this initiative builds upon that effort by training law enforcement investigators on strategies to utilize regulatory reports and other intelligence in their efforts to dismantle trafficking syndicates,” said ACAMS President and Managing Director Scott Liles.“Our partnership with the World Wide Fund for Nature and the Wildlife Justice Commission as well as the input we received from compliance experts within the ACAMS community, allows us to give participants a root-to-branch view, from how IWT syndicates operate to what investigators can do to stop them.”
Given the role that wildlife trafficking plays in fueling corruption, undermining the global financial sector, and reducing the planet's biodiversity, this is a fight that can't be ignored,” said Liles.
Commenting on the launch of the new training initiative, WWF's Wildlife Practice Leader Dr. Margaret Kinnaird said,“This certificate program is fundamental to the fight against IWT, not only because it offers a clear and concise explanation of how law enforcement cases can proceed, but also because it recognizes the inherent value in utilizing financial data to map the activity of trafficking syndicates as they transfer wildlife and money across multiple jurisdictions.”
“While the law enforcement community has long recognized the harm that the illegal wildlife trade causes around the world, investigators have yet to fully embrace the full set of tools offered to them by the anti-financial crime compliance community,” said WJC Executive Director Olivia Swaak-Goldman.“This initiative marks an important step towards applying the most relevant techniques and methodologies for investigating criminal networks trafficking wildlife.”
The launch of the new Illegal Wildlife Trade program marks the fourth free-of-charge social impact certificate to be introduced by ACAMS over the past two years. In October, the association unveiled its Fighting Modern Slavery & Human Trafficking Part 2: U.S. Sex and Exploitation Cases certificate in collaboration with the Liechtenstein Initiative for Finance Against Slavery and Trafficking (FAST), a project based at the United Nations University Centre for Policy Research and social justice organization Polaris. To take the new IWT certificate please click here:
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About ACAMS®
ACAMS is a member of Adtalem Global Education (NYSE: ATGE), a leading workforce solutions provider headquartered in the United States. ACAMS is the largest international membership organization dedicated to enhancing the knowledge and skills of anti-money laundering (AML) and financial crime prevention professionals from a wide range of industries. Its CAMS certification is the most widely recognized AML certification among compliance professionals worldwide. Its new Certified Global Sanctions Specialist (CGSS) certification commenced in January 2020. Visit acams.org for more information.
About Adtalem Global Education
Adtalem Global Education (NYSE: ATGE), a leading workforce solutions provider, partners with organizations in the healthcare and financial services industries to solve critical workforce talent needs by expanding access to education, certifications and upskilling programs at scale. With a dedicated focus on driving strong outcomes that increase workforce preparedness, Adtalem empowers a diverse learner population to achieve their goals and make inspiring contributions to the global community. Adtalem is the parent organization of ACAMS, American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine, Becker Professional Education, Chamberlain University, EduPristine, OnCourse Learning, Ross University School of Medicine, Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine and Walden University. Adtalem has more than 10,000 employees, a network of nearly 275,000 alumni and serves over 82,000 members across 200 countries and territories. Adtalem was named one of America's Most Responsible Companies 2021 by Newsweek and one of America's Best Employers for Diversity 2021 by Forbes. Follow Adtalem on Twitter (@adtalemglobal), LinkedIn or visit adtalem.com for more information.
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