Canada, G7 security ministers pledge to fight organized crime together

The ministers said transnational criminal organizations are "ruthless in their pursuit of profit, power and influence" through corruption, violence and other illicit means. 

Interior and security ministers from Canada and the other Group of Seven countries are pledging to work together to aggressively fight transnational organized crime.

Wrapping up a two-day meeting in Ottawa, the G7 ministers said Sunday they were committed to disrupting the ability of global crime groups to finance and profit from their heinous activities.

In a joint statement, the ministers said transnational criminal organizations are “ruthless in their pursuit of profit, power and influence” through corruption, violence and other illicit means.

“Fighting them requires both a shared global understanding and commitment to co-operation.”

The statement adds that G7 countries recognize the need for “innovative approaches” to address organized crime threats, including use of measures employed in other fields — such as counterterrorism and cybersecurity — where appropriate.

Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree said there is a confluence of transnational organized crime activity with terrorism, cyberattacks and exploitation of migrants.

“This is all coming together in more of a centralized set of challenges, which law enforcement have not dealt with in the past,” he told media after the meetings.

“So our expectation is to increasingly work across the different lines, to ensure that we’re looking at these situations in a holistic way and to address them by connecting the dots.”