LAW enforcement agencies and financial crime experts from across Africa and the world are intensifying their fight against fraud, corruption, and the laundering of criminal proceeds, leveraging new tools and unprecedented international cooperation. This coordinated effort was on full display at a recent four-day workshop in Nairobi, Kenya, where 85 representatives from 12 African countries gathered to promote and implement INTERPOL’s groundbreaking Silver Notice and Diffusion mechanism.
Organised crime in Africa, as elsewhere, is fueled by illicit financial flows—the movement and laundering of money gained from crimes such as scams, illegal logging, terrorism, and corruption. These activities increasingly rely on sophisticated, cross-border financial structures that make detection and asset recovery difficult.
Launched in January 2025, the INTERPOL Silver Notice is a transformative tool that enables participating countries to request information about criminal assets, such as real estate, vehicles, bank accounts, and businesses, linked to suspects or those charged with serious offences, including fraud, drug trafficking, and migrant smuggling. The Silver Notice supports rapid cross-border intelligence exchange, laying the foundation for subsequent asset seizure or confiscation under national laws.
Currently in pilot across 51 countries, the Silver Notice is one of several new tools—alongside the I-GRIP stop-payment mechanism—empowering agencies to move swiftly against illicit finances and fraud. INTERPOL’s Vice President for Africa, Garba Umar, emphasised that the Silver Notice will make it nearly impossible for corrupt politicians and criminals to hide their stolen funds, as international cooperation enables tracing and repatriation of assets through legal and diplomatic channels.
The Nairobi workshop, supported by German Development Cooperation and the EU joint action SecFin Africa, focused on building capacity for maximum impact. Participants explored how to use INTERPOL’s full suite of capabilities—including its Notices, databases, expert networks, and operational tools—to conduct financial investigations and disrupt criminal economies1. Sessions addressed emerging challenges, such as the use of cryptocurrencies and blockchain in laundering illicit funds, and included interactive exercises to foster regional cooperation and practical application of Silver Notices in ongoing cases.
The Silver Notice pilot is designed for maximum international reach. Member countries can share a Notice with all 196 INTERPOL members or direct it to specific relevant countries, streamlining what was once a slow and often ineffective process of mutual legal assistance4. The first Silver Notice, issued in January 2025 at Italy’s request, sought information on assets belonging to a senior mafia member, demonstrating the tool’s potential for high-profile, transnational cases.
Other mechanisms, such as I-GRIP, have already shown success: in one instance, authorities used it to halt a $42 million business email compromise fraud, underscoring the value of rapid, coordinated action between law enforcement and financial institutions.
Mohamed I. Amin, Director of Kenya’s Directorate of Criminal Investigations, captured the spirit of the initiative:
“The Silver Notice is more than a tool, it is a symbol of global solidarity against crime. By targeting illicit wealth, we strike at the heart of criminal enterprises and uphold justice. Let us commit to leveraging this mechanism, ensuring that crime never pays, anywhere, at any time.”
Theos Badege, Director pro tempore of INTERPOL’s Financial Crime and Corruption Centre, added:
“Money is the thread that runs through almost every form of organised crime. For some, it’s the motive; for others, the means. To dismantle criminal networks, we must follow the money—identify it, trace it, and disrupt the financial systems that enable these operations to survive and expand.”
These efforts are part of a broader movement, supported by the African Union, European Union, and international partners, to curb illicit financial flows and strengthen domestic resource mobilisation for sustainable development. The Silver Notice and related initiatives represent a significant leap forward in the global fight against financial crime, demonstrating that through solidarity, innovation, and cooperation, law enforcement can make meaningful progress in ensuring that crime does not pay – anywhere, at any time.
