African Cybercrime Delegation Arrives in Greensboro, Greensboro, 2023

GREENSBORO – A high-stakes cybercrime delegation from Africa has landed in Greensboro, North Carolina, as part of an international exchange program aimed at sharing information and strengthening transnational partnerships against cybercrime. According to U.S. Attorney Sandra Hairston, the delegation, which includes judges, prosecutors, and investigators, arrived in Greensboro on May 14, 2023, and will spend the next few days meeting with government officials, local law enforcement, and crime analysts.

The study visit was organized by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anand Ramaswamy, who serves as the International Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property (ICHIP) Attorney Advisor for sub-Saharan Africa in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Ramaswamy has been detailed overseas as part of the U.S. Transnational High-Tech Crime Global Law Enforcement Network (GLEN), a worldwide law enforcement capacity building network dedicated to combating cybercrime and intellectual property crimes.

The GLEN is a partnership between the U.S. government, including the U.S. State Department, the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and the Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance, and Training (OPDAT). INL provides the funding for the ICHIPs and their assistance activities, including this study tour.

The objective of the GLEN is to promote the rule of law and protect Americans from criminal threats emanating from abroad by delivering targeted training to encourage both immediate assistance as well as long-term institutional change. This assistance includes training workshops, legislative review, case-based mentoring, skills-development, and promoting institutional reform, such as the formation of specialized units to address these criminal threats.

AUSA Ramaswamy previously served as an Assistant District Attorney in Alamance, Orange, and Rockingham counties before joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of North Carolina in 2007. During his tenure in the USAO, Ramaswamy prosecuted both national and international cybercrimes, online human trafficking and exploitation, and many other federal crimes.

The visit includes representatives from Angola, Botswana, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, and Zambia. After spending Monday and Tuesday in Greensboro, delegates will travel to Washington, D.C. for the remainder of the visit.

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