2023 International Seminar on Combating Cross-Border Fraud: From Improving International Cooperation, Global Force to Break International Fraud

The Ministry of Justice, the Republic of China (Taiwan), has been actively promoting international cooperation with global partners since Minister Tsai, Ching Hsiang's inauguration in 2018. The effort includes signing treaties and agreements on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters with partners worldwide, endeavor on mutual legal assistance, and organizing international seminars to enhance international communication and collaboration.

Fraud cases complexity varies with technology development, especially with telecommunications and financial services, becoming increasingly sophisticated, organized, and international in scope. Enhancing the cooperation between Taiwan's and international law enforcement agencies is crucial to efficiently tackling cross-border crimes, especially online fraud.

Therefore, the Ministry of Justice, Taiwan, hosted the "2023 International Seminar on Combating Cross-Border Fraud: Improving International Cooperation" on October 31, 2023, and November 1, 2023. The Department of International and Cross-Strait Legal Affairs, Ministry of Justice Taiwan, and co-hosts, the Supreme Prosecutors Office and the Taiwan High Prosecutors Office, diligently invited the worldwide distinguished executives and prosecutors from the Ministry of Justice, Poland; the U.S. Department of Justice and the Homeland Security Investigations Agent in Taipei ; the Department of Justice, Canada; the Swiss Federal Office of Justice; and the Office of Attorney General, Thailand; as well as the domestic skilled prosecutors, judge, and experts on field of fraud crimes investigation sharing their invaluable experiences.

The two-day seminar focused on in-depth discussions on joint investigation, how to combat cross-border telecom fraud, mechanisms of criminal assets recovery, intelligence exchange, and mutual legal assistance, aiming to improve the domestic knowledge of international cooperation and investigation techniques.

This seminar unprecedently connected the esteemed global partners with whom Taiwan has cooperated stably for years. Head Pascal Gossin from the Mutual Legal Assistance Unit, Swiss Federal Office of Justice, was dedicated to assisting Taiwan to eventually recover NT$4.3 billion related to the "Lafayette Frigates Scandal", which took 20 years to process mutual legal assistance. Minister Tsai especially presented Head Gossin a certificate expressing the greatest gratitude from the Ministry of Justice, Taiwan, hoping that the mutual legal assistance between Taiwan and our global allies would significantly hit cross-border crimes.