Course	AML/CFT for Financial Intelligence Units
Duration	05 Days
Venue	Bangkok, Thailand
Investment	1000 USD
Contacts	info@bctci.com +66 94 7800 807

Course Objectives:

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Understand the strategic role of Financial Intelligence Units in national AML/CFT frameworks.
• Interpret and apply FATF Recommendations relevant to FIUs, reporting entities, supervisors, and law enforcement coordination.
• Strengthen the full intelligence cycle from receipt of STRs/SARs to analysis, dissemination, and feedback.
• Identify current money laundering and terrorism financing typologies across banking, remittance, trade, real estate, NGOs/NPOs, crypto assets, and cross-border financial channels.
• Improve the quality assessment of suspicious transaction reports and other financial disclosures.
• Apply risk-based analytical methods to prioritize high-value cases and reduce low-quality alerts.
• Use tactical, operational, and strategic analysis techniques for AML/CFT investigations.

• Understand beneficial ownership abuse, shell companies, nominee structures, and complex corporate vehicles.
• Strengthen domestic and international cooperation with regulators, law enforcement, prosecutors, customs, tax authorities, and foreign FIUs.
• Develop actionable intelligence products that support investigations, prosecutions, asset tracing, and policy decisions.
• Enhance the use of technology, data analytics, AI, and open-source intelligence in FIU operations.
• Improve confidentiality, data protection, security, governance, and operational independence within FIUs.

Personal and Organizational Impacts

Personal Impacts

Participants will develop stronger professional confidence in analyzing suspicious financial activity, prioritizing cases, and preparing intelligence products. They will improve their ability to detect red flags, understand financial crime patterns, communicate with reporting entities, and support law enforcement or prosecutorial action.

Participants will also gain practical skills in:

• STR/SAR assessment and triage
• Financial intelligence analysis
• Typology identification
• Beneficial ownership analysis
• Sanctions and terrorism financing indicators
• Cross-border cooperation
• Case documentation and intelligence writing
• Risk-based decision-making

Organizational Impacts

The participating FIU or related institution will benefit from improved intelligence quality, better case prioritization, stronger coordination with domestic and international partners, and more effective AML/CFT outcomes.

Organizational improvements may include:

• Better-quality STR/SAR analysis
• Stronger reporting entity feedback mechanisms
• More effective dissemination to competent authorities
• Improved financial crime detection
• Better support for investigations and asset recovery
• Stronger compliance with FATF expectations
• Improved national AML/CFT coordination
• Enhanced FIU credibility and operational effectiveness

Course Outline:

AML/CFT Foundations, FIU Mandate and Global Standards

Module 1: Global AML/CFT Framework and the Role of FIUs

• Evolution of AML/CFT frameworks
• Money laundering, predicate offences, terrorism financing, and proliferation financing
• Role of FIUs in national financial crime systems
• Administrative, law enforcement, judicial, and hybrid FIU models
• FIUs as national centers for receiving, analyzing, and disseminating financial intelligence
• Relationship between FIUs, supervisors, regulators, banks, law enforcement, and prosecutors
• Key risks facing developing, emerging, and cross-border economies

Module 2: FATF Recommendations Relevant to FIUs

• Overview of FATF 40 Recommendations
• Recommendation 29: Financial Intelligence Units
• Recommendation 20: Reporting of suspicious transactions
• Recommendation 1: Risk-based approach
• Recommendation 24 and 25: Beneficial ownership transparency
• Recommendation 6 and 7: Targeted financial sanctions
• Recommendation 40: International cooperation
• Immediate Outcomes relevant to FIU performance
• FATF mutual evaluation expectations
• Common FIU-related deficiencies in mutual evaluation reports

Module 3: FIU Governance, Independence and Operational Effectiveness

• Legal mandate and institutional authority of FIUs
• Operational independence and autonomy
• Governance structure, reporting lines, and accountability
• Budget, staffing, technology, and analytical capacity
• Policies for confidentiality and secure information handling
• Conflict of interest management
• Case allocation and escalation procedures
• Internal quality assurance mechanisms
• Performance measurement for FIUs
• Balancing independence with national coordination

Module 4: Money Laundering Typologies and Red Flags

• Placement, layering, and integration
• Use of bank accounts, cash deposits, remittances, loans, and trade payments
• Structuring and smurfing
• Use of shell companies and front businesses
• Misuse of professional intermediaries
• Trade-based money laundering
• Real estate and luxury asset laundering
• Cross-border movement of funds
• Corruption-related laundering
• Cyber-enabled money laundering

Module 5: Terrorism Financing and Proliferation Financing Risks

• Differences between money laundering and terrorism financing
• Legal sources of funds used for illegal purposes
• Small-value transaction risks
• NPO and charity misuse risks
• Informal value transfer systems
• Foreign terrorist fighter financing indicators
• Sanctions evasion and proliferation financing
• Dual-use goods and high-risk trade routes
• Targeted financial sanctions obligations
• FIU role in detecting and disseminating TF/PF intelligence

STR/SAR Management, Reporting Quality and Risk-Based Triage

Module 6: Suspicious Transaction Reports and Suspicious Activity Reports

• Purpose and legal basis of STRs/SARs
• Difference between suspicious transaction and suspicious activity reporting
• Reporting thresholds and suspicion-based reporting
• Key components of a high-quality STR/SAR
• Common weaknesses in STR/SAR submissions
• Defensive reporting and low-quality disclosures
• Reporting timelines and urgent cases
• Reporting entity obligations
• FIU receipt and acknowledgment processes
• Confidentiality and tipping-off risks

Module 7: STR/SAR Triage and Prioritization

• Risk-based triage models
• Prioritization criteria for FIUs
• High-risk sectors, countries, products, and customer profiles
• Urgent vs routine reports
• Politically exposed persons and corruption indicators
• Sanctions and terrorism financing escalation
• Repeated suspicious patterns
• Use of automated scoring systems
• False positives and resource allocation
• Creating a triage decision matrix

Module 8: Improving Reporting Entity Engagement

• FIU relationship with banks, money service businesses, insurance companies, securities firms, DNFBPs, and fintechs
• Communicating reporting expectations
• Feedback loops to reporting entities
• Sector-specific red flag guidance
• Public-private partnerships
• Outreach and training programs
• Improving reporting quality without compromising confidentiality
• Measuring reporting entity performance
• Dealing with over-reporting and under-reporting
• Building trust between FIUs and reporting sectors

Module 9: Risk-Based Analysis for FIUs

• Applying the risk-based approach inside FIU operations
• National Risk Assessment connection to FIU priorities
• Risk indicators by customer, geography, product, transaction, and delivery channel
• Sectoral risk mapping
• Emerging risk identification
• Prioritizing scarce analytical resources
• Escalation protocols
• Linking risk analysis to dissemination decisions
• Risk dashboards for FIU management
• Continuous review of risk models

Module 10: Data Quality, Information Sources and Case Intake

• Internal and external data sources
• STR/SAR databases
• Law enforcement requests
• Customs, tax, immigration, land registry, company registry, and sanctions lists
• Banking transaction data
• Open-source intelligence
• Commercial databases
• Data standardization and cleansing
• Entity matching and de-duplication
• Case file creation and information validation

Financial Intelligence Analysis and Investigation Support

Module 11: The Financial Intelligence Cycle

• Collection, evaluation, analysis, dissemination, and feedback
• Tactical, operational, and strategic intelligence
• Intelligence vs evidence
• Developing intelligence requirements
• Hypothesis-based analysis
• Link analysis and network mapping
• Timeline analysis
• Financial flow mapping
• Pattern recognition
• Intelligence product lifecycle

Module 12: Tactical Analysis Techniques

• Analyzing transactions, accounts, customers, and counterparties
• Identifying rapid movement of funds
• Detecting structuring and layering
• Unusual account behavior
• Cash-intensive business indicators
• Unexplained third-party transactions
• Round-tripping and circular transfers
• Use of multiple accounts
• High-risk correspondent banking activity
• Transaction narrative analysis

Module 13: Operational Analysis and Case Development

• Developing a case theory
• Connecting individuals, entities, accounts, assets, and transactions
• Identifying predicate offences
• Corruption, fraud, trafficking, tax crime, cybercrime, and procurement-related laundering
• Working with law enforcement requests
• Preparing intelligence packages
• Case enrichment using external databases
• Identifying assets for freezing or confiscation
• Escalation to investigation agencies
• Maintaining analytical objectivity

Module 14: Strategic Analysis for FIUs

• Purpose of strategic analysis
• Identifying national ML/TF trends
• Sector vulnerability assessments
• Typology reports
• Geographic risk patterns
• Emerging threats and financial crime innovation
• Use of aggregated STR/SAR data
• Supporting policy and supervision
• Strategic intelligence reporting
• Communicating strategic findings to stakeholders

Module 15: Intelligence Report Writing and Dissemination

• Elements of a high-quality FIU intelligence report
• Executive summary writing
• Factual findings vs analytical judgments
• Confidence levels and source reliability
• Visual presentation of financial flows
• Recommendations and next steps
• Dissemination criteria
• Domestic dissemination to competent authorities
• International dissemination to foreign FIUs
• Feedback and outcome tracking

Advanced AML/CFT Risks, Sanctions, Beneficial Ownership and Technology

Module 16: Beneficial Ownership and Corporate Vehicle Abuse

• Legal ownership vs beneficial ownership
• Shell companies and front companies
• Nominee directors and nominee shareholders
• Trusts and complex legal arrangements
• Offshore structures and secrecy jurisdictions
• Corporate layering techniques
• Company registry analysis
• Red flags for hidden ownership
• FATF expectations on beneficial ownership transparency
• FIU access to beneficial ownership information

Module 17: Trade-Based Money Laundering

• Over-invoicing and under-invoicing
• Multiple invoicing
• False description of goods and services
• Phantom shipments
• Misuse of letters of credit
• Free trade zones and transshipment risks
• Customs data and shipping documents
• Dual-use goods and sanctions evasion
• Trade finance red flags
• FIU cooperation with customs and trade authorities

Module 18: Sanctions, Targeted Financial Sanctions and Proliferation Financing

• UN sanctions and domestic sanctions implementation
• Targeted financial sanctions for terrorism financing
• Proliferation financing sanctions
• Freezing obligations
• Sanctions screening and false positives
• Sanctions evasion techniques
• Use of front companies and intermediaries
• Shipping and trade sanctions risks
• FIU role in sanctions intelligence
• Cooperation with regulators and reporting entities

Module 19: Virtual Assets, Fintech and Crypto-Related ML/TF Risks

• Virtual assets and virtual asset service providers
• Crypto wallets, exchanges, mixers, tumblers, and privacy coins
• Peer-to-peer transactions
• Ransomware and cybercrime proceeds
• Stablecoins and cross-border transfers
• Travel Rule concepts
• Blockchain analytics overview
• FIU access to crypto-related intelligence
• Red flags for crypto-related suspicious activity
• Supervisory and enforcement challenges

Module 20: Technology, Data Analytics and AI in FIU Operations

• AML data analytics for FIUs
• Entity resolution and network analytics
• Risk scoring and alert prioritization
• Natural language processing for STR/SAR narratives
• AI-supported typology detection
• Data visualization tools
• Dashboard design for FIU management
• Risks of AI bias and poor data quality
• Human review and explainability
• Cybersecurity and secure FIU platforms

Cooperation, Asset Recovery, Case Simulation and FIU Excellence

Module 21: Domestic Cooperation and Inter-Agency Coordination

• National AML/CFT coordination mechanisms
• FIU cooperation with central banks and supervisors
• FIU cooperation with police, prosecutors, tax, customs, anti-corruption agencies, and immigration
• Memoranda of understanding
• Information-sharing protocols
• Joint task forces
• Managing confidentiality and legal gateways
• Case referral and follow-up
• Measuring cooperation outcomes
• Resolving institutional barriers

Module 22: International Cooperation and Egmont Principles

• FIU-to-FIU cooperation
• Egmont Group principles and secure exchange concepts
• Mutual legal assistance vs FIU intelligence exchange
• Informal and formal cooperation channels
• Cross-border STR/SAR enrichment
• International asset tracing
• Confidentiality in international sharing
• Urgent information exchange
• Common obstacles in international cooperation
• Building trusted FIU relationships

Module 23: Asset Tracing, Freezing, Seizure and Confiscation Support

• FIU role in asset recovery
• Identifying assets linked to suspicious activity
• Bank accounts, real estate, vehicles, securities, and business interests
• Emergency freezing intelligence
• Cooperation with prosecutors and law enforcement
• Financial profiling of suspects
• Tracing proceeds of crime
• Non-conviction-based confiscation concepts
• International asset recovery cooperation
• Outcome tracking after dissemination

Module 24: Full AML/CFT Case Simulation for FIUs

• Receipt of STR/SAR
• Initial triage
• Risk scoring
• Data enrichment
• Transaction analysis
• Beneficial ownership analysis
• Typology identification
• Preparation of intelligence report
• Domestic and international dissemination
• Feedback and case closure

Module 25: Building a High-Performance FIU Action Plan

• FIU maturity assessment
• Policy and procedure improvement
• Analyst competency framework
• STR/SAR quality improvement plan
• Technology and data improvement roadmap
• Stakeholder engagement plan
• Training and capacity-building strategy
• Performance indicators and outcome measurement
• FATF effectiveness preparation
• Institutional action planning

Course Methodologies:

The course will use a highly practical and interactive learning approach designed for FIU professionals, regulators, supervisors, law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and AML/CFT policy officers.

Training Methods Include:

• Expert-led presentations
• Interactive discussions
• Group exercises
• Case study analysis
• STR/SAR quality review exercises
• Transaction analysis simulations
• Red flag identification workshops
• Financial flow mapping
• Beneficial ownership structure analysis
• Sanctions alert scenarios
• Typology-based learning
• Role-play between FIU, reporting entities, and law enforcement
• Practical intelligence report writing
• Group presentations
• Institutional action planning

Practical Exercises Include:

• STR/SAR quality assessment
• FIU triage scoring model design
• Terrorism financing red flag checklist
• Transaction pattern analysis
• Beneficial ownership mapping
• Trade-based money laundering document review
• Sanctions escalation scenario
• Crypto-related laundering case mapping
• International FIU request drafting
• Full AML/CFT case simulation

Main Takeaways

At the end of the course, participants will leave with:

1. A clear understanding of the FIU’s strategic and operational role in AML/CFT.
2. Practical knowledge of FATF expectations for FIUs and national AML/CFT systems.
3. Stronger skills in STR/SAR assessment, triage, and prioritization.
4. Improved ability to detect ML/TF/PF red flags and typologies.
5. Practical techniques for tactical, operational, and strategic financial intelligence analysis.
6. Better understanding of beneficial ownership abuse and corporate layering schemes.
7. Stronger capacity to analyze trade-based money laundering and sanctions evasion.
8. Improved knowledge of crypto, fintech, AI, and data analytics in FIU operations.
9. Practical skills in intelligence report writing and dissemination.
10. Improved ability to support investigations, prosecutions, asset recovery, and policy decisions.
11. Stronger understanding of domestic and international cooperation mechanisms.
12. A practical FIU improvement action plan to apply after the course.

Course Essentials

Target Participants

This course is suitable for:

• Financial Intelligence Unit officers
• AML/CFT analysts
• STR/SAR analysts
• Central bank and financial sector supervisors
• Law enforcement financial crime investigators
• Prosecutors handling financial crime cases
• Anti-corruption agency officers
• Customs and tax investigation officers
• Sanctions compliance officers
• Banking compliance and financial crime professionals
• National AML/CFT coordination committee members

Course Format:

Classroom-based executive training with practical exercises, case simulations, group work, and applied FIU-focused learning.

Core Competencies Developed

• AML/CFT legal and institutional understanding
• STR/SAR review and quality assessment
• Risk-based triage
• Tactical financial intelligence analysis
• Operational case development
• Strategic typology analysis
• Beneficial ownership analysis
• Sanctions and terrorism financing awareness
• Trade-based money laundering detection
• Crypto and fintech risk understanding
• Intelligence report writing
• Domestic and international cooperation
• Asset tracing and recovery support
• FIU performance improvement planning