Top U.S. Anti-Financial Crime Official Calls on Banks to Combat Fentanyl Trafficking

One of the most senior U.S. officials in the fight against financial crime, Guy Ficco, Chief of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (CI), has urged banks and payment firms to assist in identifying fentanyl trafficking. Ficco stressed that closer collaboration between law enforcement and the financial industry is essential in combating the spread of these deadly opioids.

"By incorporating our financial industry partners into the fight against fentanyl trafficking, we are better equipped to identify suspicious financial transactions," Ficco stated.

The importance of cooperation between public and private entities is a key topic that Ficco plans to address at the upcoming ‘International Anti-Financial Crime Summit 2024,’ where he will be a speaker. The summit will take place in London on October 9. More information and registration for the event are available.

Ficco also emphasized that stronger ties between the financial industry and law enforcement would help dismantle criminal organizations responsible for distributing fentanyl and harming communities. He shared these remarks during a recent event in the Regional Outreach to Educate Communities on the Threat of Fentanyl (PROTECT) series, a joint initiative by CI and FinCEN, the anti-money laundering arm of the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

He reiterated the importance of this collaboration, saying it would be crucial in dismantling those criminal networks "that attempt to poison our communities."

By fLEXI tEAM