JAFIC(Japan Financial Intelligence Center)トップページ

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Message

Criminal proceeds acquired by crime syndicates such as Boryokudan are used as “operating capital” for other crimes, or as funds for procurement of weapons, or for other illegitimate purposes. This helps crime syndicates to maintain and expand their power. Hence, it is absolutely imperative to take necessary measures such as deprivation of criminal proceeds and allotment of such proceeds to the recovery of damages caused by such crimes. As a countermeasure against this attempt, crime syndicates commit the “money laundering” (which refers to the process of hiding the source or beneficial owner of criminal proceeds in various ways such as consecutive transfers of illicit proceeds.). By doing so, they try to avoid the detection of such proceeds and arrest by investigative agencies. In today’s expanding globalization of economic and financial services, money laundering has been committed through international settlement systems in efforts to take advantage of loopholes in countries with less stringent regulations.

Terrorist financing, which refers to the provision of funds to support or facilitate terrorists and their activities, has also been recognized as a serious threat to the global financing systems.

Therefore, in keeping with the trends in the global community, Japan has progressively strengthened its anti-money laundering/ countering the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) regime. For example, the Act on Prevention of Transfer of Criminal Proceeds was partially enforced in April 2007, the functions of the financial intelligence unit (FIU) was transferred from the Financial Services Agency to the National Public Safety Commission/National Police Agency, and the Japan Financial Intelligence Center (JAFIC) was accordingly established to serve as Japan FIU.

Since its birth, JAFIC has enhanced its functions to collect, arrange and analyze information on suspicious transactions reported by specified business operators, and to disseminate analyzed information to the investigative agencies etc. Furthermore, JAFIC has been working to facilitate close coordination with foreign FIUs in order to respond to the globalization of money laundering and terrorist financing.

JAFIC intends to continue to accurately understand the situation surrounding money laundering/terrorist financing and international requirements etc., and to further press forward our vigorous measures to deal with criminal proceeds.

Finally, it is our wish that this website contributes to your further understanding.