About the JFIU
“JFIU” stands for the Joint Financial Intelligence Unit. The Unit was set up in 1989. Pursuant to section 25A(1) of the Organized and Serious Crimes Ordinance (“OSCO”) Cap. 455 and the Drug Trafficking (Recovery of Proceeds) Ordinance (“DTROP”) Cap. 405, as well as section 12(1) of the United Nations (Anti-Terrorism Measures) Ordinance (“UNATMO”) Cap. 575, where a person knows or suspects that any property (a) in whole or in part directly or indirectly represents any person’s proceeds of, (b) was used in connection with, or (c) is intended to be used in connection with drug trafficking or an indictable offence; or that any property is terrorist property, the person shall as soon as it is reasonable for him to do so, file a suspicious transaction report (“STR”) with JFIU.
The JFIU, as the name implies, is jointly run by staff members of the Hong Kong Police Force and the Hong Kong Customs & Excise Department. The Unit is based in Police Headquarters, Arsenal Street, Wanchai. Full contact details can be found in the section "Contact Us".
The JFIU manages the suspicious transaction reporting regime for Hong Kong and its role is to receive, analyse STRs and to disseminate them to the appropriate law enforcement agencies in or outside Hong Kong, or financial intelligence units worldwide.
Please note that the JFIU does not solicit or collect funds from members of the public for any reasons. If you are contacted by a person/ company in the name of JFIU and asked to engage in activities not commensurate with the official duties of JFIU (e.g. soliciting payment of funds), you should not respond to or have further communication with that person/ company, and should report the matter to the Police.
Vision and Mission of the JFIU
Vision
That the JFIU remains one of the leading Financial Intelligence Units (“FIUs”) in the Asia-Pacific Region
Mission
That the JFIU will continue to assist the Government in its effort to protect Hong Kong from the illicit activities of money laundering and terrorist financing by:
- Juxtaposing the JFIU’s professional standards with the relevant international standards
- Fostering and strengthening cooperation with local and international agencies in the exchange of financial intelligence
- Intelligently analyzing STRs received by the JFIU and making disseminations as appropriate
- Upgrading the relevant sectors’ awareness and understanding on money laundering and terrorist financing issues
Functions of the JFIU
The JFIU has been restructured since October 2020 to enhance its intelligence capacity as well as liaison with international organisations on anti-money laundering. In the new establishment, the JFIU is now under the purview of a Superintendent of Police with the below functions:
Data Analysis and Intelligence Development
Cultivating intelligence on money laundering and terrorist financing from STRs for further analysis and dissemination.
International Cooperation and Training
Maintaining international cooperation and intelligence exchange with FIU counterparts; and coordinating financial investigation specialist training and publicity outreach programmes particularly to FIs and DNFBPs.
Strategic Analysis and Policy
Conducting strategic financial intelligence analysis and in-depth research on the money laundering / terrorist financing trends and case typologies and performing policy study on money laundering and terrorist financing related issues.
Support
Managing the Suspicious Transaction Report and Management System (STREAMS, a web-based platform facilitating the e-reporting or dissemination of STRs)