Collaborative work will be facilitated by the respective governmental bodies of the member nations.
The Financial Investigation Group (FIG) is a key player in the fight against money laundering in Germany, headquartered at the Landeskriminalamt Brandenburg. Established on September 13, 1999, the FIG was formed as a response to the overlapping legal jurisdictions and the need for a centralized approach to combating money laundering.
The FIG consists of 12 officials, with 6 from the LKA Brandenburg and 6 from the Customs Investigation Office Berlin-Brandenburg. The group works closely with the Specialist Prosecutor's Office for Combating Money Laundering in the State of Brandenburg.
The processing of cases based on suspicious activity reports is a key area of activity for the FIG. The FIU, the national center for receiving, collecting, and analyzing suspicious activity reports related to money laundering, related predicate offenses, or terrorism financing, exclusively receives these reports from entities obligated under the Anti-Money Laundering Act (AMLA). These entities include banks, insurers, financial service providers, casinos, real estate agents, and goods traders.
The FIG handles all proceedings resulting from cash seizures under the Customs Administration Act at Berlin Brandenburg Airport and in the border area with the Republic of Poland. This year, the FIG has received nearly 1,500 money laundering suspicion reports from the Central Office for Financial Transaction Investigations (FIU) and 200 cash seizures from Berlin Brandenburg Airport and the border region with the Republic of Poland.
The FIG deploys FIU liaison officers in state criminal police offices, including those in Berlin and Brandenburg. The bundling of competencies in handling money laundering suspicions through the formation of the investigation group has resulted in six-figure sums being regularly secured and confiscated after the conclusion of investigations by the judiciary in cases handled by the FIG.
Before the money laundering offense was introduced into the Criminal Code (§ 261 StGB) in 1992, investigations were conducted independently in both authorities. The FIG cooperates with supervisory authorities, partner agencies throughout Germany, and financial authorities of the states to ensure an effective fight against money laundering. The FIG also works closely with the Central Office for Financial Transaction Investigations (FIU) and the Specialist Prosecutor's Office for Combating Money Laundering in the State of Brandenburg.
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