IRS Criminal Investigation Trains Palauan Officials on Financial Crime Investigation Techniques

Date: June 13, 2022

Overview

IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), the criminal investigative arm of the Internal Revenue Service, is providing intensive training on financial investigation techniques to around 30 Palauan officials this week.

Participants and Focus

The training, held in Palau, is attended by officials from various law enforcement and regulatory agencies, including:

Financial Intelligence Unit
Financial Institutions Commission
Bureau of Public Safety
Office of the Attorney General
Bureau of Customs and Border Protection
Bureau of Revenue and Taxation
National Security Coordination Office
Office of the Special Prosecutor
Foreign Investment Board
Judiciary members
Prosecutors
Criminal investigators
Tax auditors
Intelligence analysts

The primary focus of the five-day training is to enable Palauan officials to trace financial transactions linked to criminal activities. Participants will learn techniques for identifying assets for confiscation and calculating illegal proceeds.

Preparing to Safeguard Financial System

IRS-CI Deputy Chief James Robnett explains why this training is essential for Palauan officials with the recent changes to the country’s e-residency law, aimed at attracting corporations and entities to the country, and the need to safeguard their financial system from illegal activities.

With the recent changes to Palau’s e-residency law meant to attract corporations and entities to the country, it is essential that Palauan officials are equipped with investigative tools to safeguard their financial system and the global economy from illegal activities.

IRS-CI Deputy Chief James Robnett

Collaboration with JIATF West

IRS-CI collaborated with Joint Interagency Task Force West (JIATF West), the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command’s counter-drug and counter-transnational crime task force, to coordinate this training. This partnership has been instrumental in providing courses that align with the recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force, the global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog. JIATF West is amplifying its efforts in the Pacific Island Nations by tailoring courses to address emerging needs and concerns.

IRS-CI’s Reputation

As part of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, IRS-CI is known for its financial crime investigations, which cover tax fraud, narcotics trafficking, money-laundering, public corruption, healthcare fraud, identity theft, and more. IRS-CI special agents hold exclusive jurisdiction for investigating Internal Revenue Code violations and boast an impressive 90% federal conviction rate. The agency operates 20 field offices throughout the United States and 12 attaché posts abroad.