Anti-money laundering authority: Miri clan apparently had informants in the FIU

Enlarge image

A Miri clan member has his handcuffs removed during a court case in 2014

Photo: Carmen Jaspersen/dpa

The Miri clan, which belongs to organized crime, has apparently managed to recruit an informant in the anti-money laundering authority of the Federal Ministry of Finance, which is subordinate to customs. The Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) concerned collects and analyzes suspicious activity reports in accordance with the Money Laundering Act. An FIU employee passed on confidential information from the unit to the Arab clan for months, reports “Bild am Sonntag”. Upon request, the Bremen public prosecutor's office confirmed an investigation into suspicion of bribery against an FIU employee.

According to the newspaper, the affair was kept secret within the authority for almost a year. There was already a raid on the FIU in Cologne-Ossendorf on March 9, 2023, during which customs investigators from Hamburg took Alexandros P. away. The 32-year-old has been working in the FIU's “Operational Analysis” since spring 2022. According to the newspaper, investigators seized evidence during a search of his apartment. Accordingly, P. is said to have copied confidential processes relating to the Miri clan onto his computer. He also apparently used his access rights to query the central register of foreigners.

The Bremen public prosecutor's office is also investigating another young man. He is said to have bribed P. for the information. Drug investigators tracked down P. when his name was mentioned during telephone surveillance in the Miri clan's environment.

New Federal Office will soon step up the fight against money laundering

The incident marks a new low for the FIU investigative force. There has been massive criticism of the authority for a long time. She was accused years ago of working too slowly and making too many mistakes. Reports of suspected money laundering were “regularly” forwarded to the investigative authorities too late by the FIU.

The FIU checks and processes suspicious activity reports from banks, notaries and jewelry dealers, such as very large cash payments. The FIU then hands over serious cases to the responsible state criminal investigation offices.

Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) had already announced a Federal Financial Crimes Office as the new higher federal authority in 2022. It is supposed to use its own powers to combat money laundering and financial crime. After details were missing for a long time, the Federal Ministry of Finance clarified the route at the end of last year. Accordingly, the new authority should be set up this year and start work in 2025.

The new Federal Office to Combat Financial Crime (BBF) is intended to combine the FIU's money laundering analysis with criminal investigations and supervision.

kig