RVIPF’s Financial Crime Unit earns regional honour

The Royal Virgin Islands Police Force’s Financial Crime Unit has received a regional award for its responsiveness to international financial crime investigations.

The Asset Recovery Interagency Network Caribbean (ARIN-CARIB) presented the RVIPF unit with its Most Responsive Member Award for 2025/2026 during the organisation’s annual general meeting in Georgetown, Guyana, in July.

ARIN-CARIB connects asset recovery and financial crime authorities across the Caribbean. The network supports the rapid exchange of information required to trace, restrain and recover assets linked to criminal activity.

The organisation recognised the BVI unit for the timeliness, reliability and professionalism of its responses to requests from international partners.

Acting Deputy Commissioner of Police Kenrick Davis said the award highlighted the professionalism and dedication of Financial Crime Unit officers while reinforcing the territory’s reputation as a trusted international financial centre.

“This recognition is a testament to the hard work of our officers and the strong collaboration with our partners,” Davis stated. “It demonstrates the Virgin Islands’ unwavering commitment to upholding the highest standards in fighting illicit finance.”

The RVIPF said the award followed years of targeted work to build and sustain the unit’s capacity. It described the achievement as a reflection of strategic advances in the territory’s regulatory and investigative systems.

The force also linked the recognition to the government’s National Strategic Action Plan to combat financial crime, which included legislative reforms, enhanced investigative capabilities and measures to improve international co-operation in keeping with Financial Action Task Force standards.

Amendments made to the Proceeds of Criminal Conduct Act in 2025 introduced customer information orders and account monitoring orders. The RVIPF said those measures gave law enforcement agencies modern tools to investigate financial crime and recover illicit assets.

Account monitoring provisions allow the police or the Financial Investigation Agency to seek court orders requiring financial institutions to provide information relevant to specified investigations. The measures were designed to improve authorities’ ability to trace suspected criminal property.

The RVIPF said inter-agency co-operation also contributed to the Financial Crime Unit’s work. The unit operates within a framework involving the FIA, Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and other competent authorities.

Formal information-sharing arrangements and memoranda of understanding between agencies have strengthened intelligence-sharing and co-operation against money laundering, terrorist financing and other financial crimes.