The Joint Financial Intelligence Unit has launched a website to raise money-laundering awareness.

At http://www.jfiuhk.com, the site gives people, especially those in the financial services industry, a greater understanding of the law on laundering and the need for people to report such suspicious financial transactions.

The joint Police-Customs and Excise Department Unit was set up in 1989 to handle reports on suspicious financial activities made under the provisions of the Drug Trafficking (Recovery of Proceeds) Ordinance and since 1995, the Organised and Serious Crimes Ordinance.

The site outlines systematic approaches to the identification of suspicious transactions. The steps include the recognition of such activity, appropriate questioning of the customer and review of information already known about the customer.

If the customer is unwilling or unable to provide a legitimate and reasonable explanation, and the type of activities are not commensurate with what is expected from the customer, then a report should be made including the particulars of the persons or companies involved, details of the activities and the reasons why they are suspicious. All reports are kept strictly confidential.

The Unit does not investigate suspicious transactions, rather it receives and stores reports on these cases and passes them to appropriate investigative units including the Narcotics and Organised Crime and Triad Bureaux, and Customs' Drug Investigation Bureau.

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