Montevideo, September 30 (teleSUR-RHC)-- Police officials from 10 different countries across Latin America are meeting in Uruguay on Tuesday in order to strengthen regional efforts to combat money laundering. 

“There was an urgent need to improve the training of police officers in the area of asset investigation, which needs to be implemented in practice and in law,” Regional Director of Interpol for South America Rafael Peña stated.

Among the areas being examined at the conference are activities related to non-financial sectors, such as mining, real estate, gambling, and construction.      

The week-long training session, which is being organized by the The Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering in South America (GAFISUD) seeks to strengthen efforts to combat financial and economic crimes.
  
Across Latin America high-profile cases involving money-laundering and government officials have caused controversy and scandal.

Earlier in September in Peru, lawmakers voted in a plenary session to approve the final report issued by the special commission that investigated the alleged money-laundering charges involving various officials linked to President Ollanta Humala's administration, including his wife.

More notably, in Guatemala, former President Otto Perez Molina had charges leveled against him by Judge Miguel Angel Galves, which included criminal association, customs fraud, and money laundering.