Fiji Financial Intelligence Unit Uncovers Alleged $7.5 Million Money Laundering Scam

Massive Scheme Involving Foreign Nationals and Fraudulent Documents Exposed

The Fiji Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) has made a shocking discovery, revealing a massive money laundering scheme involving foreign nationals and fraudulent documents. According to the FIU’s 2021 annual report presented in Parliament, a woman allegedly assisted three foreign nationals in opening two bank accounts in Fiji using fake identification documents, resulting in the transfer of $7.5 million.

The Scheme

The three individuals involved, identified as Mr A, Mr B, and Mr C, are nationals of Country 2 who hold passports from Country 3. They were reported to have received $300,000 each into their bank accounts before being flagged by the FIU. Further investigation revealed that despite having no travel records in Fiji, they had allegedly opened their personal bank accounts at a Nausori branch and business bank accounts at a Namaka branch.

Red Flags

A closer look at the case raised several red flags:

• The three individuals shared the same Suva residential address.
• Their companies - Company A, Company B, and Company C - were registered with the same business address and phone number.
• Ms D, allegedly involved in creating the companies and bank accounts using fake documents, received monthly salary expenses of $30,000 from each company.

Investigation and Next Steps

The FIU has forwarded the case to the Fiji Police Force, recommending charges for:

• Money laundering
• Provision of false or misleading information
• Economic fugitive involvement

The authorities are now working to track down the individuals involved in this elaborate scheme and bring them to justice.