AUSTRAC is strengthening the Pacific region's ability to detect and disrupt money laundering and other serious financial crimes this month.
The two major training initiatives in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands are supported by Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
The activities bring together financial intelligence practitioners from across the Pacific to build skills, strengthen cooperation and improve the use of financial intelligence to combat transnational crime.
The training forms part of AUSTRAC's ongoing commitment to supporting Pacific partners to identify illicit financial flows, tackle emerging criminal threats and strengthen regional resilience against financial crime.
In Papua New Guinea, this work is being delivered under the Australia-PNG Bilateral Security Agreement as part of Australia’s broader efforts to support PNG's responses to financial crime and anti-money laundering challenges.
AUSTRAC CEO Brendan Thomas said improving financial intelligence capabilities across the Pacific benefits both regional partners and Australia.
"Serious criminals do not respect borders,” Mr Thomas said.
“By helping our Pacific partners strengthen their ability to detect and disrupt illicit financial activity, we're making it harder for criminal networks to operate across the region.
"These programs provide practical, real-world skills that help financial intelligence units and law enforcement agencies work together to identify criminal activity, follow the money and protect our communities."
AUSTRAC delivered an intensive four-day International Financial Intelligence Tradecraft Training program in Papua New Guinea from August 3 to 6.
Using realistic, simulated case studies based on real-world money laundering typologies, the program gave participants hands-on experience in analysing financial intelligence and presenting investigative findings. Analysts, police, prosecutors and anti-corruption agencies worked together to use financial intelligence across the country's anti-money laundering regime.
The training supports PNG authorities to better detect, investigate and disrupt money laundering and other serious financial crimes.
AUSTRAC developed the training specifically for international Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) counterparts.
"This training forms part of Australia's support to Papua New Guinea under the Bilateral Security Agreement and supports PNG's efforts to strengthen its anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing regime,” Mr Thomas said.
“By improving the use of financial intelligence in criminal investigations, it helps PNG authorities better detect, investigate and disrupt financial crime,"
Participants said the course was interactive, practical and directly relevant to their everyday work and that scenarios challenged them to think differently and strengthen their analytical skills.
They also said the course improved relationships across agencies and will help them work together more effectively in the future.
Last week AUSTRAC brought together representatives from 12 Pacific financial intelligence units in Honiara, Solomon Islands, for a five-day cryptocurrency tracing and intelligence-writing course.
The specialised training from August 17 to 21 helped participants identify and investigate illicit activity involving virtual assets, using open-source tools.
The Solomon Islands course is the first time AUSTRAC has delivered a formal structured training program in the country and reflects the growing importance of regional cooperation in addressing emerging financial crime threats.
Mr Thomas said the cryptocurrency course helped Pacific partners build capability in an increasingly important area of financial crime.
"The use of virtual assets is growing across the world, including in the Pacific, and criminal groups are increasingly looking for new ways to move and conceal illicit funds," Mr Thomas said.
"By equipping financial intelligence officers with the skills to trace cryptocurrency transactions, we're helping ensure Pacific countries can respond to emerging threats and keep pace with rapidly changing technologies."
The Solomon Islands program builds on AUSTRAC's broader training pathway for Pacific financial intelligence units, which starts with foundational financial intelligence skills and progresses to advanced and specialised capabilities.
Many of the participants attending the Honiara course previously completed AUSTRAC’s Financial Intelligence Analyst Course delivered in late 2025.
AUSTRAC delivers multiple training and capability-building activities across the region each year, helping strengthen regional cooperation and improve the collective response to money laundering, terrorism financing and other serious crime threats.