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Financial Intelligence Unit Belize

Established 2002 · Ministry of Finance

Belize's central agency for financial intelligence.

We receive and analyse disclosures from reporting entities, supervise designated non-financial businesses and professions, and investigate and prosecute money laundering, terrorist financing and proliferation financing.

The mandate

A hybrid unit — intelligence, supervision and prosecution under one roof.

Most financial intelligence units do one job. Belize's does three. The FIU was established in July 2002 under section 3 of the FIU Act as the central agency to receive and analyse disclosures filed by reporting entities, and to disseminate financial intelligence for the investigation and prosecution of money laundering and its predicate offences.

As a hybrid unit it is also empowered to investigate and prosecute financial crimes directly, and to supervise DNFBPs for compliance with their AML/CFT obligations.

More about the FIU
  1. Receive

    Disclosures and suspicious transaction reports arrive from reporting entities and other sources.

  2. Analyse

    Reports are examined against intelligence held by the Unit and its domestic and foreign counterparts.

  3. Disseminate

    Financial intelligence goes to law enforcement, or the Unit takes the matter forward itself.

  4. Act

    Investigation, prosecution, asset recovery, and supervisory action against non-compliant entities.

Targeted financial sanctions

The Consolidated Belize Sanctions List

The FIU compiles and maintains the list of individuals and entities subject to sanctions under Orders of the High Court. Providing financial services to a listed person, making property available to them, or acting on their direction is prohibited.

Working with

No unit fights this alone.

In Belize

  • Belize Police Department
  • Customs and Excise
  • Immigration and Nationality
  • Income Tax Department
  • Central Bank of Belize
  • Attorney General's Ministry

Beyond Belize

  • The Egmont Group of FIUs
  • Caribbean Financial Action Task Force
  • Foreign financial intelligence units
  • Requests for mutual legal assistance

NAMLC

The National Anti-Money Laundering Committee oversees Belize's national AML/CFT action plan and advises the Minister of Finance on policy.

About NAMLC