Sensitive and International Investigations

On this page

• International anti-corruption team
• Domestic corruption and political investigations
• War crimes and torture
• Structural investigations
• Cyber crime

International anti-corruption team

• Investigate Canadian companies, Canadian citizens or residents bribing foreign officials under the Corruption of Foreign Public Official's Act (CFPOA) or the Canadian Criminal Code (Fraud, Money Laundering (ML), Breach of Trust)
• Assist foreign jurisdictions with Mutual Legal Assistant Treaty (MLAT) requests to Canada regarding foreign bribery

Domestic corruption and political investigations

• Investigate allegations of financial crimes such as fraud, corruption, procurement on Federal employees at the Director and higher management level
• Investigate elected officials, Senators or Executives of the Federal government on allegations of fraud, financial crimes, corruption and breach of trust
• Investigate allegations of financial crimes committed against the Federal government and or its institutions. The sensitive nature of the allegation may supercede a threshold amount
• Investigate allegations of illegal lobbying activities.

War crimes and torture

• Investigate allegations of genocide, crimes against humanity or war crimes committed by Canadian citizens (living in or outside Canada), by an individual being present or visiting Canada, or if the victim was a Canadian citizen at the time of the crime
• Investigate allegations of torture to Canadian citizens while outside of Canada by foreign officials

Structural investigations

What is a structural investigation?

A structural investigation is a broad, intelligence-led intake process designed to collect, preserve, and assess information potentially relevant under Canada's Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Act. This includes gathering open-source material and voluntary submissions from individuals wishing to provide information. The primary objective is to proactively collect relevant information that may support future investigative steps, should jurisdictional and legal thresholds be met.

Is a structural investigation a criminal investigation?

No. A structural investigation is not a criminal investigation.

Can the structural investigation lead to a criminal investigation?

Yes. Should a perpetrator of core international crimes—such as genocide, war crimes, or crimes against humanity—with the appropriate nexus to Canada ^{Note 1} be identified, the RCMP will initiate a separate criminal investigation.

What is the RCMP's goal with a structural investigation?

Recognizing that it takes time for perpetrators of the serious crimes in conflict situations to be identified, and the fact that the passage of time adds additional challenges to collecting evidence and gathering statements, the RCMP works diligently to capture information about conflict situations as early as possible, and to safeguard this information for future criminal investigations.

The RCMP's goal is to ensure that Canada does not become a safe haven for individuals who have committed grave international crimes, and to support justice for victims - regardless of their nationality, background, or geopolitical context.

When is a structural investigation initiated, and who decides?

The RCMP generally considers opening a structural investigation based on several key factors. These factors include:

• Credible information or allegations suggesting that war crimes, crimes against humanity, or genocide may have occurred
• Canadian nexus, such as victims, witnesses, or alleged perpetrators who are present in Canada or have ties to Canada
• Sizeable community in Canada that could potentially provide testimony or evidence
• Investigative feasibility, operational capacity

The final decision to investigate is the responsibility of the RCMP, guided by evidence, legal standards, and operational independence and are independent of political influence.

How does the RCMP collect information in a structural investigation?

The RCMP may collect information from a variety of sources including open-source material, voluntary submissions from individuals who may have relevant information, as well as information from domestic and international partners and other modern and traditional investigative avenues.

The RCMP may collect public submissions through a secure web-based portal. The portal provides a clear, safe, and accessible mechanism through which the public can share information on what they have witnessed or experienced as potential war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Victims of, or witnesses to, possible war crimes, or crimes against humanity, are eligible to provide submissions. The information is safeguarded by the RCMP and only used for investigative purposes and criminal prosecutions

How does RCMP validate witness testimony for incidents in a conflict zone?

The RCMP and its investigators work to corroborate, verify, and enhance the credibility of witness information using both traditional and modern investigative methods. These methods include database verifications, information-sharing with domestic and international partners, including international tribunals and legal mechanisms via Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) requests, and direct police-to-police cooperation across borders, along with other established policing techniques.

Does the decision-making process into launching an investigation involve consultations with political officials?

The decision to investigate is completely independent of political influence.

The RCMP, through its participation in the Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Program, is the sole law enforcement entity in Canada responsible for investigating allegations under the Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Act.

The decision is the responsibility of the RCMP, guided by evidence, legal standards, and operational independence.

Do structural investigations focus on one side or another of a conflict?

The RCMP is firmly committed to fairness, impartiality, and non-partisanship in the investigation of alleged war crimes, regardless of where they occur or who is involved.

What structural investigations are currently underway by the RCMP?

The RCMP is currently leading structural investigations with The War in Ukraine, as well as the Yazidi genocide carried out by ISIS between 2014 and 2017.

The RCMP is in the development stage of a structural investigation into the Israeli-Hamas armed conflict. A secure portal for submissions is expected to launch in Summer 2025. A media release will be issued by the RCMP when the portal becomes available to the public.

What is the status of the portal creation for the structural investigation into the Israeli-Hamas armed conflict?

The RCMP is focussed on delivering a portal that provides a clear, safe, and accessible mechanism through which the public can securely share information. It will be available in French, English, Hebrew and Arabic.

The process to develop a secure portal from scratch involves many steps including unique coding, multi-language translation and quality control.

The portal is expected to launch in Summer 2025.

Cyber crime

• Investigate cyber incidents where technology is the target and that has an impact at a national level. This includes cyber attacks to critical infrastructure and government of Canada systems
• Investigate state sponsored cyber incidents
• Assist foreign jurisdictions as it relates to cyber incidents