WASHINGTON, D.C., March 20, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ACAMS, a leading membership organization dedicated to supporting anti-financial crime (AFC) professionals worldwide, will host the Anti-Financial Crime Symposium - Baltics, bringing together AFC experts from Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and beyond on March 27 at the Radisson Blu Latvija Conference & Spa Hotel in Riga.

The symposium promises a dynamic program featuring nine expert-led sessions covering a diverse range of topics crucial to combating financial crime. Participants can expect in-depth discussions on fraud detection and prevention, effective de-risking strategies, the evolving landscape of sanctions and export controls, and the latest advancements in regulating virtual asset service providers. Renowned regulators and industry thought leaders will spearhead these sessions, offering valuable insights and practical solutions.

Distinguished keynote speaker Toms Platacis, Head of the Latvia Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), will kick off the event with an insightful address. Following this, a regulatory roundtable will convene featuring esteemed figures such as Kristīne Černaja Mežmale, Council Member at Latvijas Banka; Denas Gadeikis, Head of Payment and Electronic Money Institution Supervision at the Bank of Lithuania; and Liisi Mets, Head of Anti-Money Laundering Department at Finantsinspektsioon.

The symposium will also feature a fireside chat titled 'International Sanctions Update,' where ACAMS Senior Associate – Sanctions, Ransomware, and Risk, Sam Cousins, will engage in a thought-provoking discussion with John Smith, Co-Head of Morrison Foerster’s National Security Practice and Former Director of the U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control.

Additionally, a panel discussion with representatives from the Latvian, Estonian, and Lithuanian governments will provide attendees with invaluable intelligence and strategies on current trends in sanctions and evasion, directly from those spearheading enforcement efforts in the region. The event will culminate with a session featuring a Europol case study spotlighting a law enforcement operation targeting a call-center scam and money laundering ring in Latvia and Lithuania.

Neil Sternthal, CEO of ACAMS, remarked, "We're bringing together leading experts in illicit finance to drive discussions on rising regulatory expectations, advances in technology, and broader geopolitical crises, including the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, while aiming to strengthen public-private collaboration that can disrupt criminal networks. The ACAMS Anti-Financial Crime Symposium – Baltics offers a tailored agenda to ensure that AFC professionals stay abreast of financial crime risks and mitigation strategies specific to the region."

For more information about the Anti-Financial Crime Symposium – Baltics, including access to the agenda and registration portal, please visit: ACAMS Baltics Symposium

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About ACAMS®

ACAMS is a leading international membership organization dedicated to providing opportunities for anti-financial crime (AFC) education, best practices, and peer-to-peer networking to AFC professionals globally. With over 100,000 members across 180 jurisdictions, ACAMS is committed to the mission of ending financial crime through the provision of anti-money laundering/counterterrorism-financing and sanctions knowledge-sharing, thought leadership, risk-mitigation services, ESG initiatives, and platforms for public-private dialogue. The association’s CAMS certification is the gold- standard qualification for AFC professionals, while its CGSS and CCAS certifications are for sanctions professionals and AFC practitioners working in the crypto space, respectively. ACAMS’ 60+ Chapters globally further amplify the association’s mission through training and networking initiatives. Visit acams.org for more information.

Lashvinder Kaur
ACAMS
+44 7388 264478
lkaur@acams.org