Beyond Borders : The Global Struggle Against Financial Crimes - An Interview with Nick Court

Iliana ARFAOUI

“Cooperation starts at the domestic level, and that’s not always easy.” declared Nick Court, Acting Director of Interpol’s Financial Crime and Corruption Centre and esteemed guest speaker of ILYMUN 2026. 

After working for over 20 years as a British police officer, Nick Court, who is now a director at INTERPOL, expressed his view on managing operations related to financial crime, money laundering and asset recovery all while handling the pressures and responsibilities of team leadership.

Could you tell us a bit about how you track and organize your operations on illicit financial flows?

Nick Court : We help countries quickly share information about how money or other forms of value move across borders. Sometimes criminals use goods like mobile phones, gold, or other commodities to disguise criminal proceeds as legitimate trade. We support countries in sharing intelligence about these movements. We also train law enforcement officers, especially in countries where expertise is still developing. A major new tool we’ve introduced is the Silver Notice, which helps countries identify and recover assets hidden abroad. For example, if France knows a criminal made €10 million from drug dealing but can’t find the money in France, it can issue a Silver Notice asking other countries to check whether that person has assets like cars, bank accounts, or houses. If found, those assets can potentially be seized and returned.

What are the biggest challenges when working across different countries?

Nick Court : The biggest challenge is trust. Law enforcement agencies need to trust the people and organizations they share information with. They need confidence that the information will be handled properly and not leaked. At Interpol, we build trust by bringing officers from many countries together, running training and operations, and even encouraging informal relationship-building like dinners and messaging groups. That way, officers can build direct contact with each other. There are also legal challenges, but trust is the most important one.

How do criminals move illicit funds?

Nick Court : Criminals are very professional and often hire specialists to move money. They may use fake trade transactions, making criminal proceeds look like payment for goods such as mobile phones. Cryptocurrency is another important method because it allows money to be moved quickly across borders, especially in places where traditional money transfers are regulated. Criminals also use rapid transfers through multiple bank accounts in different countries. For example, stolen money can be split into several parts and moved through many accounts in many countries, making it much harder for law enforcement to trace.

How do national police and law enforcement bodies like Interpol work together?

Nick Court : Cooperation starts at the domestic level, and that’s not always easy. Even within one country, different law enforcement agencies may struggle to trust each other. Once domestic cooperation improves, countries can work internationally through organizations like Europol, Ameripol, ASEANAPOL, or Interpol. Interpol’s role is to share intelligence while making sure it meets certain standards and doesn’t involve prohibited matters like politics or military issues. We also help countries connect with the right contacts and encourage trust-building.

How useful are technology and AI in fighting crime?

Nick Court : AI is useful for both criminals and law enforcement. Criminals use AI in scams, such as romance fraud, where they can now create fake video calls, voices, and identities much more convincingly than before. Law enforcement uses AI to process huge volumes of information, prioritize important messages, and do things like translation. Interpol has developed its own AI tool for law enforcement because sensitive information shouldn’t be put into public systems like ChatGPT. AI is useful, but it’s not fully trustworthy, and false information can be a real problem.

Is AI effective when tracking crime?

Nick Court :It can help, especially in sorting large amounts of suspicious transaction reports. Financial intelligence units receive huge numbers of alerts from banks and may use AI to identify the most important ones. But by the time information reaches Interpol, a human has already decided it matters. So we are not relying only on AI-generated judgments.

How significant is cryptocurrency in illicit financial flows?
Nick Court: Cryptocurrency plays an important role, but it has pros and cons for criminals. One downside for them is volatility, since the value can change dramatically. Another common misconception is that crypto is untraceable. In fact, with the right tools and training, it can be easier to trace than traditional banking. A trained investigator can sometimes follow crypto movements across countries in half an hour, whereas bank tracing may require court orders and requests to multiple institutions in multiple jurisdictions. However, crypto is also very useful in investment fraud, where victims are persuaded to invest through fake schemes.

Interpol runs training programs and provides support, especially for poorer countries. For example, Japan has funded crypto training and software licenses for some countries in Southeast Asia. Similar work is being done in Africa. However, there needs to be much more of this, because the tools are expensive and Interpol itself is not a huge organization.

What made you want to pursue a career in law enforcement?

Nick Court : I’m not entirely sure. After university, where I studied economics, I applied for a range of jobs, mostly in finance and consulting. I was offered both an accounting job and a job as an intelligence analyst in the police on the same day. I chose the analyst role because it seemed more interesting and gave me the chance to help people. Later I became a police officer. At the beginning, it was exciting and rewarding — working in uniform, responding to incidents, helping victims, and dealing with emergencies.

If I wanted to apply for a job at Interpol, what qualities would I need to demonstrate?

Nick Court : There isn’t just one quality. Interpol attracts highly capable young people who often speak multiple languages and have strong academic qualifications. They are also confident, willing to learn, and willing to speak with experienced professionals even at a young age. Trustworthiness and hard work are essential. Interpol has many departments, including legal, finance, human resources, medical services, and various crime units, so there is no single profile — but intelligence, education, languages, and openness matter a lot.

What advice would you give to a student who wants to work in law enforcement?

Nick Court : The most important step is simply daring to apply. I came from a middle-class village background in the UK with no real connection to policing and felt unsure whether I would be good enough or streetwise enough. But the only way to find out is to try. You don’t have to match the rough-and-tough stereotype shown on TV. Police forces increasingly value different backgrounds and personalities. Even if you only do the job for a few years, you gain valuable skills in resilience, communication, and dealing with all kinds of people.