04/06/2026
๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ง๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐๐๐๐๐ก๐ ๐ผ
๐ ๐ฅ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ป๐ด๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ป ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ด๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐ณ๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐ ๐ฎ๐ด๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ป๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ด๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ถ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ค
The Mauritius Revenue Authority (MRA), in collaboration with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), successfully concluded a five-day regional workshop on "Building Intelligence Bases and Utilizing Human Sources." Held at the Custom House in Mer Rouge, Port-Louis, from 25 to 29 May 2026, the workshop aimed to strengthen the regional fight against transnational organised crime.
This workshop brought together 50 representatives from various government agencies in Seychelles and Mauritius. Participating institutions included the MRA, the Attorney Generalโs Office, the Financial Crime Commission, the Financial Intelligence Unit, the Financial Services Commission, the Gambling Regulatory Authority, the Mauritius Police Force, and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. Facilitated by FBI experts, the workshop equipped participants with vital skills in gathering criminal intelligence from diverse sources.
During the closing ceremony on Friday, 29 May 2026, Mr. Rohit Ramnawaz, Director-General of the MRA, delivered a compelling keynote address emphasising the importance of a unified, multi-agency response to increasingly sophisticated global organised crime networks. He highlighted that traditional methods are no longer sufficient against criminal enterprises operating under a veil of anonymity across borders. He also elucidated that criminals have demonstrated a growing ability to exploit emerging technologies to execute various forms of organised crime, including drug trafficking, smuggling, financial fraud, tax evasion, and money laundering, while maintaining anonymity.
To effectively dismantle these complex networks, he called on law enforcement and enforcement bodies to adopt a coherent and intelligence-driven strategy. He also underscored the workshop's relevance to the MRA, pointing out that it enhances the institution's capacity to adopt an intelligence-led approach in tackling sophisticated financial crimes.
Mr. Craig Halbmaier, Chargรฉ dโAffaires at the U.S. Embassy Mauritius, highlighted the ongoing collaboration between the U.S. Government, Mauritius, and Seychelles, aimed at combating financial crime. He also dwelt on the upcoming Africa Business Summit scheduled for the end of July 2026, emphasizing its role in strengthening U.S.-Africa trade and investment.
Mr. Jeffrey D. Rees and Ms. Anna Teczynska, Program Managers at the FBI, reiterated the importance of tailored training programs in preventing financial crime, with a particular focus on robust intelligence gathering.
Representatives from Mauritius and Seychelles, Mr. Elvind Koonjul and Ms. Pedronella Franciska Vidot, commended the capacity-building initiative, underlining that the specialised training enhances technical competencies and strengthens the collaborative networks essential to countering transnational organized crime.
MRA extends its sincere gratitude to the U.S. Embassy and the FBI for their continued partnership, which remains essential in empowering enforcement agencies to confront complex transnational crimes effectively.