Training workshops concerning the fight against economic crime
The training workshops on combating economic crime to the detriment of the European Union financial interests was held in Kraków on September 30th – October 4th, as part of the project of the Regional Police Headquarters in Lublin "Methodology of detecting and fighting crimes detrimental to the financial interests of the European Union” co-financed from the Hercule III program.
The workshop was attended by representatives of institutions responsible for combating fraud to the detriment of the European Union, the representatives of the Criminal Investigation Bureau of the National Police Headquarters, Department of Economic Crime National Police of Ukraine, Department Of Economic Crime Municipal Police Headquarters in Sofia, National Prosecution Office, Police Academy in Szczytno, departments for fighting economic cirme of the Regional Police Headquarters in Lublin, Rzeszów, Kielce, Radom, Białystok, Katowice and Olsztyn, Nadbużański Border Guard Unit, Lublin Customs and Tax Office in Biała Podlaska as well as the Regional Prosecutor's Office in Lublin.
The aim of the workshop was to exchange knowledge and experience in the field of fighting crime to the detriment of the European Union financial interests in the Member States and Ukraine and to establish working contacts that will facilitate international and interinstitutional cooperation in this field.
The workshop was opened and led by Jolanta Chojnacka - Head of the Department for fighting Economic Crime of the Regional Police Headquarters in Lublin.
The workshops were divided into three training panels: disclosure and protection of property at the disposal of criminal groups in the European Union, methods and tools for revealing and combating crime to the detriment of the European Union financial interests on the example of the VAT carousel, methods and tools for disclosing and combating crime detrimental to the European Union financial interests on the example of excise tax offenses.
On the first day of the workshop, the issues of property identification and deprivation of the benefits of perpetrators of crimes committed to the detriment of the European Union's financial interests, as well as international cooperation in this respect (preparing inquiries about assets abroad) were discussed.
The second day was devoted to the VAT carousel. The introduction to this subject was made by the representative of the Police Academy in Szczytno. Then representatives of the Municipal Police Headquarters in Sofia and the National Police of Ukraine, Lublin Customs and Tax Office in Lublin and regional police headquarters presented their experience in this area.
The third day of the workshops began with the presentation of the representative of the National Prosecutor's Office on the direction, objectives and principles of conducting the financial investigation. Further topics concerned the fight against excise crime to the detriment of the European Union financial interests.
An important element of the undertaking was establishing direct contacts between representatives of various institutions from different countries, which in the future will facilitate cooperation in combating crime to the detriment of the EU's financial interests.