Attorney General (AG) and Legal Affairs Minister, SC Anil Nandlall, recently engaged a team from the Regional Security Service (RSS) to discuss a number of issues aimed at strengthening collaboration.
AG Nandlall was accompanied by Home Affairs Minister Oneidge Walrond and a team of representatives from the two ministries. They met with the Director of the Asset Recovery Unit at the RSS, Keisha Sutherland, and the Director of Strategic Services and International Affairs at the RSS, Rhea Reid.
During the engagement held on Thursday at the AG’s Chambers & Ministry of Legal Affairs office in Georgetown, the officials discussed strengthening Guyana’s collaboration with the Regional Security System, which is a treaty-based defence and security organisation established to coordinate responses to crises, natural disasters, and transnational crime in the Caribbean.
The meeting focused on the enactment of a series of legislation which the RSS would like to be implemented across the region and the development of a regional model legislation dealing with artificial intelligence. It also explored how the RSS, as a regional law enforcement agency, can augment its presence and increase its capabilities across the Caribbean in the battle against organised crime and monitoring cyberspace for criminal activities.
This high-level engagement was held on the side-lines of the Ninth Asset Recovery Inter-Agency Network for the Caribbean (ARIN-CARIB) annual general meeting held at Guyana Marriott in Georgetown earlier this week.
ARIN-CARIB is a network of Caribbean law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and judicial practitioners who specialise in the recovery of proceeds of crime in the region.
Held under the theme “From Tracing to Transformation: Building an Asset Recovery-Ready Caribbean”, the two-day event hosted in Georgetown earlier this week saw stakeholders from across the region engaging in meaningful discussions on fighting transnational crime.
In fact, during his feature address at the opening ceremony on Wednesday, AG Nandlall highlighted how the RSS partnership has helped Guyana strengthen its regional security architecture as well as its domestic legal framework.
“The technical support provided by the RSS over the years, including the development of model legislative provisions on asset recovery and confiscation, has greatly assisted Guyana in modernising aspects of its legislative framework. That partnership exemplifies the true spirit of regional integration, where expertise is shared, capacity is strengthened, and collective security is advanced for the benefit of every Member State,” he posited.
Against this backdrop, the Guyanese AG called for enhanced cooperation and coordination among member states to combat transnational organised crime. He pointed out that regional law enforcement must recognise the evolving nature of criminal networks and reorganise their operations to respond to these changes.
“Criminal networks cooperate across borders with remarkable efficiency, exploiting differences between legal systems and jurisdictional boundaries to frustrate investigations and avoid prosecutions. Today, organised crime is rarely confined within national borders… Supported by international financial networks that move illicit wealth through multiple jurisdictions before it is ultimately integrated into the legitimate economy. The unfortunate reality is that criminals have become exceptionally good at working together.”
“If criminals have not collaborated without regard for borders, then governments, prosecutors, investigators, and financial intelligence units must collaborate even more effectively. This is why institutions such as ARIN CARIB have become indispensable. They remind us that international cooperation is no longer a desirable objective. It is an operational necessity,” AG Nandlall posited.
Similar sentiments were expressed by the Deputy Executive Director of the RSS Headquarters, Atlee Rodney, who stressed the importance of strengthening legislative and policy frameworks to keep pace with increasingly sophisticated criminal enterprises; continuing to build capacity, especially for criminal justice practitioners involved in financial investigations and asset recovery; and deepening regional and international collaboration.
“No Member State can effectively combat transnational organised crime alone,” Rodney said during the opening ceremony. “Ultimately, our work extends beyond recovering criminal assets. It is about restoring public confidence, strengthening governance, protecting our communities, and ensuring that the proceeds of crime are redirected to benefit our citizens rather than criminal organisations.”
Pointing to the RSS motto of “Strength Through Unity”, Rodney added that this “…serves as a reminder that our greatest achievements are realised when we work together with a shared purpose. By combining our expertise, resources, and commitment, we can ensure that the Caribbean is not only capable of recovering criminal assets but truly prepared to do so effectively and consistently.”
Meanwhile, Director of Public Prosecutions in Guyana, Shalimar Ali-Hack, SC, underscored the importance of having legislation to support stronger inter-agency cooperation in the region.
The hosting of this year’s AGM in Guyana comes as the country currently occupies the presidency of ARIN-CARIB for 2026 – a position that is held by Deputy DPP Diana O’Brien.
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