Gibraltar has joined a new Interpol scheme to help trace and recover criminal assets from international crime groups.

The “Silver Notice” was launched this month and will help countries share alerts and worldwide requests for information. 

This tool will also allow Gibraltar to identify criminal assets held in other countries and identify locally held assets on the Rock linked to criminality in other jurisdictions

Gibraltar’s Interpol Sub Bureau joined 51 other countries and territories in the pilot scheme, which runs until November this year.

The Rock’s Interpol office is based within the Gibraltar Co-ordinating Centre for Criminal Intelligence and Drugs (GCID), for which the RGP has overall responsibility.

A spokesman for GCID, which has officers seconded from the Royal Gibraltar Police, HM Customs and the Gibraltar Defence Police, said: “We will now be able to request information on assets linked to a person’s criminal activities such as fraud, corruption, drug trafficking, environmental crime and other serious offences. It can help us locate, identify and obtain information about laundered assets including properties, vehicles, financial accounts and businesses. We are proud to have joined this scheme and play a part in combatting international crime and making the world a safer place.”

Minister for Justice, the Hon Nigel Feetham, added: “One of the most powerful ways to fight international, organised crime is to strip criminals of their illegal profits. We hope this tool will help our local law enforcement authorities to disrupt criminal networks and enhance cooperation with their international counterparts.”

The first Silver Notice was issued by Italy last week and seeks information on the assets belonging to a senior member of the mafia.