Structure and Function of FIU

The structure and hybrid model of Financial Intelligence Units has been adopted and implemented in Anguilla since 2000.   Pursuant to the newly enacted Financial Intelligence Unit Act, 2020, the Financial Intelligence Unit for Anguilla is now formalized as a Department of the Government of Anguilla with responsibility for the investigation, detection, prevention and control of financial crimes and for connected matters.

The Hybrid Model serves as a disclosure intermediary and a link to both judicial and law enforcement authorities. It combines elements of at least two of the Financial Intelligence Unit models that is the judicial, law enforcement and or Administrative Models.  The Financial Intelligence Unit for Anguilla has adopted the hybrid model that is a combination of the law enforcement and administrative models.

The Law Enforcement Model implements anti-money laundering measures alongside already existing law enforcement systems, supporting the efforts of multiple law enforcement or judicial authorities with concurrent or sometimes competing jurisdictional authority to investigate money laundering.

The Administrative Model is a centralized, independent, administrative authority, which receives and processes information from the financial sector and transmits disclosures to judicial or law enforcement authorities for prosecution. It functions as a “buffer” between the financial sector and the law enforcement communities.

The Financial Intelligence Unit, Anguilla will operate as a single hybrid unit with two distinct divisions that carries out separate functions and roles. These divisions are the Financial Intelligence Unit – Intelligence Division and the Financial Intelligence Unit – Investigations Division. Both divisions are supervised by the Director of the Financial Intelligence Unit, Anguilla.

The Financial Intelligence Unit – Intelligence Division

This division is responsible for all information gathering, analysis and the dissemination of intelligence.

The Financial Intelligence Unit – Investigations Division

This division is focused primarily on the investigations of serious financial crimes, money laundering, terrorist financing, asset recovery, cash seizure and forfeiture and mutual legal request pertaining to money laundering and or terrorist financing.