Analysts, investigators, prosecutors and others can and should work together more to bring more criminals to justice. So says the Paris-based Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the 181 member Egmont Group of financial intelligence units, the international police body Interpol and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). They have brought out a Handbook on International Cooperation against Money Laundering.
Money laundering almost always crosses borders, the authorities state, and criminals exploit gaps between national legal systems to hide their activities and avoid punishment. FATF evaluations show that investigating, prosecuting and sanctioning money laundering remains one of the weakest areas worldwide. Without more effective cooperation, countries cannot stop financial crime in its tracks, the authorities warn.
FATF President, Elisa de Anda Madrazo said: “An international threat requires an international response. A victim can often be on the other side of the world to the criminals that are destroying their lives or livelihoods, so we need to see countries working more effectively together and multiplying our defences to keep people safe, bring more criminals to justice and recover ill-gotten gains.”
The handbook suggests that the globalization of financial systems and rapid technological advances demand faster intelligence and action to keep pace with criminals. It promotes informal cooperation, such as secure communication channels, response mechanisms and joint analysis, which can provide faster, more flexible, and targeted investigations, beside formal, usually legal processes, which are often slower and procedurally complex.
“This joint handbook is a practical resource that equips financial intelligence units, law enforcement, and prosecutors with the tools they need to cooperate more effectively across borders,” said Egmont Group Chair, Elżbieta Franków-Jaśkiewicz. “By promoting informal cooperation and offering actionable guidance, it helps authorities accelerate investigations, recover illicit assets, and bring more criminals to justice.”
The handbook highlights cases of international cooperation:
Financial Intelligence Units in Italy, Spain and the Netherlands uncovered a 95 million euros cross-border laundering scheme through joint analysis and intelligence sharing.
Operation AVARUS-X in Australia, supported by United States federal Homeland Security department, dismantled a laundering network exploiting money service businesses to transfer billions of AUD annually.
US and Indian authorities coordinated in real time to seize cryptocurrency assets worth USD 150 million linked to drug trafficking.
An Interpol-supported multinational investigation into rhino horn trafficking secured convictions in Singapore, backed by evidence from South Africa.
Interpol Secretary General Valdecy Urquiza said: “Tackling money laundering requires unity across borders and between organizations, and this handbook is an important step in achieving this. Strengthening cooperation not only strips criminal networks of their profits, but also safeguards a global financial system that is vital for prosperity, equality and stability.”
Financial intelligence units
The authorities warn that criminals will continue to exploit legal loopholes unless financial intelligence units, law enforcement agencies and prosecutors cooperate more effectively. Hence three ‘practical guides’ to accompany the handbook.
UN Under Secretary General Ghada Fathy Ismail Waly, Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said: “International cooperation in financial investigations is necessary to combat financial and economic crime. This publication will help practitioners make more effective use of informal cooperation, improve investigation outcomes and ultimately confiscate and recover proceeds of crime. It represents a powerful resource in the lead up to the 2026 UN Crime Congress that will be hosted by the United Arab Emirates in April 2026, which will be an opportunity for Member States to exchange good practices on financial investigations and re-commit to targeting criminal proceeds.”
