On 29 November, 2022, an international seminar on the problems of economic crime investigations “Illegal circulation of excisable goods in the internal market, peculiarities of pre-trial investigation and administrative practice, appointment of experts, operational work” was held. The seminar discussed both theoretical aspects of crime investigation and practical experience in the investigation of crimes related to circulation of excise goods in Latvia and abroad. The newly launched digital guide for investigators was also presented, bringing together up-to-date information on different types of crime. The workshop concluded that the most significant impact on the national budget and the population is the illicit cigarette market, including the rapidly growing market for newly introduced tobacco products and substitutes. The seminar was implemented within the framework of the European Economic area grant 2014-2021 programme “International Police Cooperation and Combating Crime” project No.EEZ/VP/2020/1 “Support to the State Police for increasing effectiveness and quality of economic crime investigation in Latvia””.
The seminar was opened by Pauls Krūmiņš, Head of the Economic Crimes Combating Department of the State Police Main Criminal Police Department, who emphasised the importance of mutual cooperation and a strategic approach to the detection and prevention of such crimes: “In order to successfully combat the illicit circulation of excise goods, cooperation between colleagues, industry and civil society organisations must be fostered. It is also important to look at foreign experiences in combating the illicit circulation of excise goods - this knowledge can be very useful for investigating crimes at national and international level. The factors contributing to the illicit excise market can be addressed through strategic and sustainable public policies, and it is imperative to strengthen the capacity of law enforcement authorities and to streamline excise control mechanisms.”
Experts from the State Police, the State Revenue Service, the Prosecutor's Office of the Republic of Latvia and the (Business Against Shadow Economy) “BASE” took part in the seminar as speakers, while experts from HM Revenue & Customs and Philip Morris International shared their experience from abroad. The speakers talked about trends in the circulation of illicit excise goods, current developments and the challenges of combating such crime and its impact on the economy. The experts paid particular attention to the confiscation of property in cases where illegal trade in alcoholic beverages and tobacco products has been detected.
The participants of the seminar welcomed the local and foreign experts invited by the organisers, appreciating the topicality of the event and highlighting the knowledge gained during the exchange of experience for future work on this type of crime. The seminar also strengthened law enforcement cooperation, including the exchange of contacts, which is an essential basis for successfully investigating and combating economic crime in Latvia.
A total of 257 officials from the State Police, the State Revenue Service and the Public Prosecutor's Office of the Republic of Latvia participated in the seminar.
Seminar was organized within the framework of European Economic area grant 2014-2021 programme “International Police Cooperation and Combating Crime” project No.EEZ/VP/2020/1 “Support to the State Police for increasing effectiveness and quality of economic crime investigation in Latvia”
Pictorial picture from pixaby.com