Welcome back to the podcast, bribes, swindle, or steel. I'm Alexandra Ragi, and today I'm in

beautiful Beirut, looking across to the Corniche and the Mediterranean beyond. I'm here with Colonel

Bashar Khatib, and Colonel Khatib is the head of the financial crimes and prevention of money laundering bureau in Lebanon.

He has over 20 years of experience, having served in multiple roles within the internal security forces, the police, here in Lebanon.

Colonel Khadib, thank you for joining me today.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Could you help us understand your organization?

How is it structured and what is the mandate?

Our office is combating financial crimes and money laundering.

So it was established in line with mission of the internal security forces, of creating a specialized unit

run by specialized experts to investigate and fight organized crime.

As such, our unit's specialty was combating financial crimes and money laundering.

So for the mandate, they are fighting fraudulent bankruptcy and counterfeit money,

skimming, fictician companies, trademarks, copies, counterfeit merchandise, and stolen state fund, breaking bank laws and breaking

financial institutions laws, implementing the Interpol requirement, all the Interpol

requirement from Interpol and Europol and from the Arabic Interpol

and combating money laundering and financing terrorism.

Because Beirut has so much banking here, is money laundering a large part of what you do?

Yes, it is, but we are cooperating with the FIU in Lebanon.

It's a financial investigating unit in the central bank

for combating money laundering.

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