From January 21 to 23, a significant workshop took place in Taipei, focusing on international collaboration against narcotrafficking. The Global Cooperation Training Framework (GCTF) hosted the "International Workshop on Combating New Psychoactive Substances and Tracing Illicit Financial Flows," gathering 315 participants, including 60 international attendees from 37 countries. Experts and academics shared best practices in areas such as darknet drug trafficking investigations, forensic science applications for new psychoactive substances, challenges in confiscating illicit proceeds, tracking financial flows linked to organized crime, and enhancing international collaboration.
The GCTF workshop aimed to strengthen the capacity of countries in the Indo-Pacific and globally while boosting Taiwan's multilateral cooperation. This initiative is crucial as law enforcement agencies increasingly seek international partnerships to address new psychoactive substances and evolving criminal tactics for concealing illicit funds.
During the opening ceremony, Raymond Greene, Director of the American Institute in Taiwan, emphasized the global impact of drug abuse. He stated that coordinated law enforcement efforts are necessary to target international criminal organizations. Greene noted that the workshop's objective was "to strengthen international mechanisms for drug prevention cooperation and facilitate global efforts in combating drug crimes."
The event was cohosted by five full GCTF partners: the American Institute in Taiwan, Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association, Australian Office Taipei, and Canadian Trade Office in Taipei. It also involved Taiwan’s Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau. The three-day event included seminar-style presentations followed by hands-on site visits.
Experts from various countries participated over these days. Officials from U.S. agencies like the Department of Justice and Drug Enforcement Administration shared advanced techniques targeting cryptocurrency transactions and dark web activities with non-profit organization specialists. This collaboration aims to dismantle financial networks supporting drug production and trafficking.
Founded in 2015, GCTF is a platform leveraging Taiwan's expertise to tackle global issues through training programs for officials and experts worldwide. Since its inception, GCTF has conducted 85 workshops on diverse topics such as public health and cybersecurity involving over 10,000 participants from 132 countries.
GCTF has also organized overseas events across different continents since its founding year. These initiatives continue enhancing capacity building efforts globally while promoting multilateral cooperation with Taiwan.
For more information about GCTF activities visit their official website at https://www.gctf.tw/