Joint Workshop on Financial Intelligence for Frauds (Commercial, Sales Tax and Cyber Crimes) FIA, FMU and FBR-IR 18 – 20 December, 2024 – Karachi

A three-day joint capacity-building workshop on developing and investigating financial intelligence related to financial frauds and cybercrimes was held from 18-20 December 2024 in Karachi under the FCDO’s UPSCALE Programme. The workshop was attended by representatives from the Financial Monitoring Unit (FMU), Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), and Directorate General of Intelligence & Investigation-Inland Revenue (I&I-IR). It focused on legislative, institutional, and operational frameworks for addressing financial frauds, including banking, commercial, and Ponzi schemes, as well as cybercrimes like e-commerce fraud, identity theft, and mobile banking-related crimes. Key topics included the use of financial documents in investigations, international cooperation, and combating sales tax fraud through the identification of supply suppression, false input tax claims, and fake invoices, with emphasis on Anti-Money Laundering Act provisions.

The workshop also strengthened coordination among agencies as coordination between the Financial Monitoring Unit (FMU), the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) is crucial for strengthening Pakistan’s Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Counter-Financing of Terrorism (CFT) framework. Mr. Wali Muhammad Shaikh, Director of I&I-Inland Revenue, highlighted the importance of strengthening efforts to combat sales tax fraud. He also underscored the establishment of a Financial Intelligence Analysis Cell (FIAC) as a critical initiative supported under the UPSCALE program. Mr. Muhammad Iqbal, Senior Consultant at UPSCALE, provided an overview of the UPSCALE project and highlighted its commitment to organizing similar interactive programs in the future to further enhance Pakistan’s AML/CFT regime.

At the closing ceremony, Ms. Lubna Farooq Malik, Director General FMU, emphasized the importance of inter-agency collaboration in combating illicit financing and appreciated UPSCALE’s role in enhancing investigative capacity through joint workshops, contributing to a more effective framework for tackling financial crimes.