The Gibraltar Financial Intelligence Unit (GFIU) has recently been engaged in international collaboration with its counterparts from the Crown Dependencies (Guernsey, Isle of Man and Jersey). The Director of the GFIU, Edgar Lopez, has chaired the Quad Island Forum since June 2022.

The Forum has strengthened its ties with Economic Crime Units and explored new relationships with tax authorities. It has also established subgroups dedicated to addressing various aspects of financial crime, including Terrorist Financing, Strategic Analysis, Public-Private Partnerships, and Advanced Technologies across the four jurisdictions.

Through these sub-groups the Forum provides a better understanding of the threats and challenges each jurisdiction faces and enables a more coordinated response to economic crime to disrupt criminal networks that may be operating within them.

The GFIU attended the relaunch of the Financial Intelligence Unit – Jersey. During the event Mr Lopez served as a panelist on FIU Collaboration, emphasising the significance of initiatives like the Quad Island Forum and how similar models could be adopted by jurisdictions with shared objectives. With over 250 professionals in attendance, the FIU's relaunch provided an excellent platform for the GFIU to showcase its ongoing efforts and further strengthen connections with both the private and public sectors. Mr Lopez also took this opportunity to hand over the Chair of the Forum to FIU Jersey and also to work on a strategic plan to take the Forum forward for the next three years.