The Macau government is set to sign a memorandum of understanding with Mozambique's Financial Information Office (GIFiM) to exchange financial intelligence aimed at preventing money laundering, terrorism financing and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the Lusa news agency reported on Wednesday, 21 October.
According to a dispatch published in the Macau Official Gazette and cited by Lusa, the memorandum provides for the sharing of information on money laundering, associated predicate offences, terrorism financing and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
The dispatch, signed on 12 October by Macau's Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai, authorises the Secretary for Security, Chan Tsz King, to delegate the signing of the agreement to the Commander-General of the Unified Police Service (SPU), Leong Man Cheong.
Macau's Financial Intelligence Office (GIF), which is responsible for combating money laundering, terrorism financing and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, operates under the supervision of the SPU.
International cooperation against financial crime
In March 2022, the United States State Department's annual report on international narcotics control strategy listed Macau among the world's 'major money laundering jurisdictions'.
According to GIF's annual report, Macau became in 2019 the first member of the Asia-Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APG) to comply with 'all 40 international standards' on the prevention of money laundering, terrorism financing and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
The agreement with Mozambique forms part of GIF's broader international cooperation efforts to exchange financial intelligence. In May 2025, the Macau government signed a similar agreement with Angola, and in August of this year it announced it would conclude a protocol with the Financial Intelligence Unit of São Tomé and Príncipe.
GIF already has information-sharing agreements with 33 countries and territories. Its partners include the Financial Intelligence Unit of the Portuguese Judicial Police, since 2008; the Financial Intelligence Unit of the Central Bank of Timor-Leste, since 2018; and, since 2019, Brazil's Financial Activities Control Council (COAF) and the Financial Intelligence Unit of Cabo Verde.
Suspicious transaction reports from casinos on the rise
The announcement comes as suspicious transaction reports from Macau's casinos — one of the world's leading gambling hubs — continue to increase.
According to official GIF data, suspicious transaction reports submitted by the gaming sector rose 7.9% in the first nine months of the year compared with the same period in 2025.
Between January and September, Macau's six casino operators submitted 2,968 suspicious transaction reports related to money laundering or terrorism financing.
Source: Diário Económico
Original article: https://www.diarioeconomico.co.mz/?p=554489
