- Assets forfeiture, cryptocurrency, money laundering in drug trade top agenda
Delegates from 54 African countries and 15 observer nations will meet next week in Abuja for the 31st meeting of Heads of National Drug Law Enforcement Agencies in Africa (HONLAF) to discuss new trends and partnerships to curb the global drug scourge.
Top on their agenda will be discussions and collaborations on alternative development to cannabis cultivation, assets forfeiture, cryptocurrency and money laundering by drug cartels, among others.
Secretary to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Shadrach Haruna, and the Country Representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Oliver Stolpe, announced this yesterday in Abuja while addressing reporters on the meeting.
Haruna, who represented NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), said the 31st meeting of HONLAF, a subsidiary of the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs (UNCND), would enable heads of drug law enforcement agencies across Africa to discuss and develop strategies to combat drug trafficking and abuse in the region.
“The HONLAF meeting is an annual event. The last one was held in Nairobi, Kenya, where Nigeria was unanimously elected as the host of the 31st edition, which will take place from Tuesday, September 26 to Friday, September 29, 2023 in Abuja.
“This annual HONLAF meeting features a line-up of activities that include technical meetings, paper presentations, deliberations on reports and trends, workshops, and bilateral talks among member nations. It is a platform for brokering collaborations in the areas of shared intelligence, joint training, and joint operations against international drug cartels in the African region.
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“This year, Nigeria has the honour of being the chair and host of the meeting. So, it means delegates from 53 other African countries will converge on the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja on Monday and, for the rest of the week, they will be guests of NDLEA and the Federal Government of Nigeria,” Haruna said.
While President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is expected to deliver the keynote address and declare the conference open as the special guest of honour, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), and some invited ministers as well as heads of relevant parastatals and agencies will be at the opening ceremony.
Dr. Stolpe said the HONLAF meeting would also focus on “regional and national cooperation to reduce illicit production and cultivation of illicit drugs, something that has been observed”.
“There will also be discussion on alternative development, an approach promoted by many countries; financial investigation in drug trafficking cases and the role of cryptocurrency in drug trafficking cases, and money laundering.
“It’s safe to say NDLEA has made great strides to confiscate the money and proceeds of drug crime. We will also look at how to follow the money and seize the immense riches accumulated in the drug trade,” he added.