The Gibraltar Financial Intelligence Unit (GFIU) organised and hosted a three-day event focused on crypto crime investigations, bringing together law enforcement officers, FIUs from Guernsey, Jersey, Isle of Man and key stakeholders in Gibraltar. The event provided a comprehensive look into the growing challenges of crypto-related crimes, with a particular focus on virtual asset recovery and investigations.

The event, which was held in collaboration with US Special Agents from the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI) based in the US Embassy, London, and other officials from the US Department of Justice (DoJ), highlighted the growing importance of tackling crypto-related crimes.

The event featured three key components:

Day 1: Asset Recovery, Seizure, and Management Workshop: Delivered by Asset Reality, a leading firm in this space. Participants engaged in comprehensive discussions and practical sessions focusing on the recovery, seizure, and management of both virtual and tangible assets related to criminal activities.

Day 2: Crypto Crime Seminar: explored the latest trends in crypto-related crimes and cyber-enabled fraud. Experts from the IRS-CI shared their experiences and provided insights into detecting and combating illicit activity in the cyber domain.

Day 3: Operational Workshop on Crypto Tracing Tools: led by TRM Labs, a market leader in cryptocurrency tracing solutions. Allowed participants to engage with cutting-edge crypto tracing tools. Attendees were trained on using advanced software and analytical tools to identify, trace, and investigate suspicious virtual asset transactions.

The GFIU's collaboration with international partners and members of the Quad Island Forum highlights Gibraltar’s commitment to staying at the forefront of crypto regulation and enforcement.

The Director of the GFIU, Edgar Lopez, said: “Building capacity in understanding crypto crime, tracking, tracing, and recovering assets is essential to our work. We are delighted that our colleagues from the US IRS-CI and DoJ have offered to provide this specialist training. The collaboration between the GFIU and US Special Agents has enabled us to identify the most relevant topics and deliver high-quality training to a diverse group of stakeholders, including local regulators, law enforcement, and prosecutors. We are confident that our international partnerships will continue to pave the way for similar events in the future.”

The Minister for Justice, the Hon Nigel Feetham KC MP, said: “This event highlights the effectiveness of the GFIU’s international partnerships, enabling it to deliver this critical training to those on the front lines of combating financial crime. I am extremely grateful to the US Embassy London and the firms that have generously provided their expertise and support for this seminar."