Vice-Chair highlights central role of FIUs at the International Conference on Strengthening Cross-Border Cooperation in Transnational Crime in Taipei, Taiwan
This week, Egmont Group Vice-Chair, Mohammed Shahid Ahmed was honoured to participate at the International Conference on Strengthening Cross-Border Cooperation in Transnational Crime in Taipei, Taiwan. It provided an opportunity to highlight the central role of Financial Intelligence Units and the importance of timely, trusted financial intelligence exchange in supporting asset tracing, restraint, and seizure.
Mr. Shahid Ahmed emphasized that effective asset recovery in cross-border crime relies on speed, coordination, and international cooperation. Given the rapid movement of illicit proceeds, particularly in large-scale fraud schemes, early financial intelligence and strong FIU collaboration are essential to enable timely tracing, restraint, and recovery of assets.
The Vice-Chair referred to key Egmont Group reports related to these issues, including:
- The Egmont Group’s Information Exchange Working Group (IEWG) project on the role of FIUs in the asset recovery process, which identified key challenges and highlighted the importance of financial intelligence in asset tracing and securing. https://egmontgroup.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Sanitized-Asset-Recovery-Report-2.pdf
- The ongoing “Increasing FIUs’ Effectiveness in the Asset Recovery Process” initiative, including Phase II launched in 2025, which focuses on asset identification, freezing mechanisms, cooperation frameworks, and practical recommendations for improving FIU effectiveness. https://egmontgroup.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Increasing-FIU-AR-effectiveness-public-summary.pdf
- The joint Egmont Group–FATF–INTERPOL–UNODC handbook on international cooperation for money laundering detection, investigation, and prosecution, providing practical tools to enhance cross-border cooperation and accelerate financial investigations. https://egmontgroup.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Informal-Int-Cooperation-Brochure-For-FIUs.pdf
The Egmont Group thanks the organizers, including the Anti-Money Laundering Division, the Taiwan Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau, as well as the Ministry of Justice and the Office of the Supreme Prosecutor, for the excellent organisation and the very high quality of discussions. Their efforts fostered meaningful dialogue and strengthened collaboration on asset recovery in an increasingly complex global landscape.
