Brandenburg's GFG Combats Money Laundering, Processes 2,000 Cases in 2023
The Financial Investigation Group (GFG) in Brandenburg has been instrumental in combating money laundering, working closely with the Specialist Prosecutor's Office, the FIU, and other relevant authorities. In 2023 alone, the GFG processed over 2,000 cases, demonstrating its significant role in the region.
Before the GFG's establishment in 1999, money laundering investigations were conducted independently by the Oberfinanzdirektion Cottbus and the Landeskriminalamt Brandenburg due to overlapping legal jurisdictions. The GFG's formation has streamlined this process, with the team now consisting of twelve officers from both agencies, based at the LKA Brandenburg.
The GFG's work is guided by the Anti-Money Laundering Act (GwG), which requires certain entities to file money laundering suspicion reports. These reports, along with cash seizures at Berlin BER Airport and the border area with Poland, form the basis of the GFG's investigations. In 2023, the GFG processed nearly 1,500 such reports from the FIU and 200 cash seizures. The GFG's success in prominent cases has led to significant incriminated assets being secured in recent years.
The GFG's collaborative approach with the FIU Liaison Officers in Berlin and Brandenburg, along with its dedicated team of twelve officers, has proven effective in combating money laundering. As money laundering is connected to corresponding criminal offenses, the GFG's work plays a crucial role in dismantling organized crime in the region.
