The Bhutanese Leading the way.
During the 4th Meet-The-Press, Minister of Home and Cultural Affairs said that a significant challenge in combating these financial scams is that the key suspects often operate from outside the country, making apprehension difficult.
Lyonpo Tshering said many victims are deceived with false promises of business returns, complicating the social implications of charging local participants who are often victims themselves.
“The scam funds frequently end up abroad, with suspects using foreign contact numbers and transferring money internationally. While we can charge local middlemen who facilitate these transactions, they frequently claim to be deceived as well.”
“The lack of advanced investigative technology and scientific aids, along with issues in obtaining mutual legal assistance, further complicates our efforts. Moreover, the Office of the Attorney General often returns financial scam cases, and there are acquittals despite thorough investigations and charges,” he added.
Lyonpo Tshering said that solving, curbing, and preventing such cases require collaborative efforts from all stakeholders, including the Department of Law and Order, Royal Monetary Authority, banks, telecom service providers, and the media.
He added, “These entities need to work together to sensitize the general public about various scams. All stakeholders must implement aggressive awareness programs to educate the public on identifying and avoiding scams. Finally, a gradual enforcement tactic will be implemented to ensure sustained vigilance and prevention after a nationwide massive sensitization and awareness campaign through mass media, news, local channels, TV, and talk shows.”
These steps, aim to strengthen our defenses against financial scams and protect our citizens from fraudulent activities.
Further, he said to effectively combat these scams, it is crucial to review and amend existing laws to create specific offences tailored to address these scams effectively.
As for the actions, the Royal Bhutan Police (RBP) is taking active measures to address the challenges posed by financial scams. Upon receiving reports, RBP conducts preliminary investigations. If the investigation merits, cases are registered under deceptive practices or larceny by deception.
Even in cases where formal registration is not possible due to various complicating factors, RBP still carries out thorough preliminary investigations and has successfully facilitated some restitution through police intervention.
Additionally, the ministry is committed to raising awareness among victims about various scams, including Ponzi and pyramid schemes, Qnet, and online scams.
