FBI Counters Illicit Diamond Trafficking and Trade

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Video Transcript

Mollie Halpern: The FBI is leading an effort to identify and mitigate the way criminals could use diamonds to launder money, finance terrorism, and other nefarious crimes.

Diamonds are one of the most illicitly trafficked and traded products in the world.

Eric B. Ives: Diamonds have been associated with war crimes, murder, corruption, complex organized crime, and a variety of other lesser crimes.

Halpern: That was Supervisory Special Agent Eric Ives, who heads the FBI’s Diamond Trafficking Program.

Ives: In the world of diamonds, there’s four Cs: color, cut, clarity, and carat. And in the FBI, we have five Cs: color, cut, clarity, carat, and criminals.

Halpern: The FBI, in collaboration with the Department of State and global partners, recently hosted the first-ever law enforcement diamond forum in The Hague, Netherlands.

A global network of experts—from both the private and public sectors—shared information, best practices, and laid the groundwork for specialized training.

Ives: The FBI wants to be part of leading a movement and bringing focus to what could, if left unchecked, result in significant crimes.

Halpern: With FBI, This Week, I’m Mollie Halpern of the Bureau.