New police team to probe UAE financial crimes

The UAE is training a new generation of specialist police officers to investigate financial crimes, it was reported on Wednesday.

During an eight-year course, the officers will have studied overseas, earned PhDs and worked at the UAE Central Bank, officials said.

The aim is to improve standards in investigating and prosecuting cases that currently require financial experts to be brought in from foreign authorities, UAE daily The National reported.

“It is financial crimes that are the big challenge ahead,” said Maj Gen Nasser al Naimi, the director general of the Minister of Interior’s office, told the paper.

“Financial crimes should be our obsession, financial security. We have to prepare ourselves. We need the proper army for that,” he added.

Graduates of the police academy spend a year earning a degree in banking. After that comes six months working at a bank in the UAE and another six at the UAE Central Bank.

Then the trainees are sent overseas – to Britain, the US and Australia – to continue their studies and work alongside financial crime investigators in those countries.

Dubai also has placed a priority on fighting corruption and financial crimes.

Since a massive anti-corruption inquiry was launched, fraud involving billions of dirhams has been uncovered, officials said.

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