An FIU is a central, national agency responsible for receiving, analyzing, and disseminating to the competent authorities disclosures of financial information concerning suspected proceeds of crime and potential financing of terrorism or required by national legislation or regulation1. FIUs play a crucial role in the detection and prevention of money laundering and terrorist financing by collecting, processing, and analyzing financial intelligence and sharing it with domestic and foreign counterparts2. FIUs may have different organizational structures, functions, and legal frameworks, but they all adhere to the international standards and best practices set by the Egmont Group of FIUs3.
References:
What We Do | FinCEN.gov
Financial Intelligence Units: An Overview (June 2004) - IMF, page 1
[Egmont Group of Financial Intelligence Units]
Reference: https://www.fatf-gafi.org/media/fatf/content/images/National_ML_TF_Risk_Assessment.pdf