Types of Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU)

The model affects who gets the reports, how quickly they can be acted on and what the FIU may do. An administrative FIU sits in a ministry, central bank or regulator and acts as a buffer between reporting firms and police. A law enforcement FIU is part of the police or a similar agency and works close to investigations. A judicial or prosecutorial FIU sits within the prosecution service or courts, giving it strong powers such as freezing accounts. A hybrid combines two or more of these. No model is best; each trades trust from industry against investigative reach. Countries choose by legal tradition and history. Knowing the model helps practitioners understand what an FIU can ask for and how information will travel. Banks working in several countries tailor their escalation steps to what each unit can do.

A bank operating in two countries files a report in each. In the first, the FIU is an administrative body that analyses it and passes a summary to police. In the second, the FIU is part of the prosecutor's office and can order a temporary freeze of the account immediately. The bank adjusts its escalation steps to match what each unit can do.