Taiwan’s Anti-Money Laundering Division (AMLD) won the Best Egmont Case Award (BECA) 2026, the highest honour of the Egmont Group of Financial Intelligence Units, for its investigation into the Prince Group money laundering case. The Financial Intelligence Unit India (FIU-IND) secured the runner-up position for cracking a large-scale cyber fraud network involving ₹868 crore in illicit proceeds. The awards were announced during the 32nd Egmont Group Plenary held in Baku, Azerbaijan, from 5 to 10 July 2026.
About the Egmont Group
The Egmont Group is the world’s largest network of Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs). It was established in 1995 at the Egmont Palace in Brussels, Belgium, and its permanent secretariat is headquartered in Ottawa, Canada. The Group currently has over 182 member FIUs from jurisdictions around the world.
The primary purpose of the Egmont Group is to provide a secure platform for FIUs to exchange financial intelligence and cooperate in the fight against money laundering, terrorist financing, and related financial crimes. It operates through four Working Groups, eight Regional Groups, and the Egmont Centre of FIU Excellence and Leadership (ECOFEL). The key governing body is the Heads of FIU (HoFIU), which meets annually at the Plenary. The Group also manages the Egmont Secure Web (ESW), a secure communication system launched in 1997 that enables FIUs to share information confidentially.
The Best Egmont Case Award
The Best Egmont Case Award (BECA) was launched in 2011 by the Egmont Group’s Training Working Group, now the Technical Assistance and Training Working Group (TATWG). The award is designed to encourage member FIUs to contribute to the Group’s database on money laundering and terrorist financing cases, and to share best practices within the global anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) community.
Each year, FIUs submit their most impactful cases. A panel of judges selects the two best entries, which become finalists. The finalists present their cases at the annual Plenary, where the Heads of FIU cast votes to determine the winner. The winning FIU receives the BECA trophy. The award is regarded as one of the highest operational distinctions in the global financial intelligence community.
Taiwan’s Winning Case: The Prince Group Investigation
Taiwan’s Anti-Money Laundering Division (AMLD), which has been a member of the Egmont Group since 1998 under the name “AMLD, Taiwan”, submitted the Prince Group money laundering case for the 2026 BECA competition. The case involved a transnational criminal organization based in Cambodia, allegedly led by Chen Zhi, that operated forced-labour scam compounds across Southeast Asia.
The group engaged in telecommunications fraud, “pig-butchering” investment scams, cryptocurrency fraud, and online gambling, laundering over NT$10.7 billion (approximately US$330 million) through Taiwanese shell companies and underground currency exchange networks. Between 2016 and 2025, the group established more than 10 front companies in Taiwan and created cryptocurrency wallets to facilitate large-scale fund transfers.
Working under the direction of the Taipei District Prosecutors Office, the AMLD provided critical financial intelligence that led to the seizure of US$175 million in illegal assets, including 11 luxury properties, 35 luxury vehicles, and 337 bank accounts. A total of 62 individuals and 13 companies were indicted for violations of Taiwan’s Organized Crime Prevention Act and Money Laundering Control Act.
The case received the highest number of votes in the preliminary round and advanced to the final, where it competed against India’s submission. At the Plenary in Baku, AMLD, Taiwan secured 76 out of 106 valid votes (a 72% vote share), winning the award by a decisive margin. The voting involved representatives from 130 FIUs and 15 international organizations, including the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the World Bank, and INTERPOL.
FIU-IND’s Runner-Up: Cyber Fraud Investigation
India’s Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU-IND) was named the runner-up for its investigation into a sophisticated cyber fraud-linked money laundering network. Established on 18 November 2004, FIU-IND is the central national agency responsible for receiving, processing, analysing, and disseminating information related to suspect financial transactions. It operates under the Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance, and is headquartered in Connaught Place, New Delhi. The agency is currently led by Director Amit Mohan Govil, an officer of the Indian Revenue Service (IRS).
The Investigation
The case originated from intelligence shared by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C). FIU-IND’s financial intelligence analysis uncovered a sophisticated money laundering network involving cyber fraud proceeds of approximately ₹868 crore, more than 5,000 mule bank accounts, and complex cryptocurrency transactions spanning multiple jurisdictions.
Leveraging the Egmont Secure Web (ESW), FIU-IND exchanged financial intelligence with counterpart FIUs across countries to trace cross-border cryptocurrency transactions and map the global money laundering trail. Based on FIU-IND’s Operational Analysis Report, the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) initiated enforcement action under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.
The ED conducted searches at 13 locations, seized ₹47 lakh in cash and cryptocurrency (USDT) valued at approximately ₹13.6 crore, attached assets worth ₹8.67 crore, and filed two Prosecution Complaints under the PMLA.
This was the second consecutive year that FIU-IND was recognised at the BECA. In 2025, the agency had received an Honourable Mention for its work on another complex case, indicating India’s steadily growing capability in financial intelligence and international cooperation.
Significance of the Recognition
The BECA is the most prestigious operational award in the global AML/CFT community. Winning or being placed at the award signals that a country’s FIU meets the highest international standards of financial intelligence analysis, inter-agency coordination, and cross-border collaboration.
For Taiwan
For Taiwan’s AMLD, the win with 72% of the votes represents strong international recognition of its financial intelligence capabilities despite its unique diplomatic status. The AMLD has been an active Egmont member since 1998, and the Prince Group case demonstrated its ability to tackle complex transnational organised crime through a combination of financial analysis, domestic prosecutorial coordination, and international cooperation.
For India
For India, the runner-up finish confirms FIU-IND’s emergence as a leading financial intelligence agency. The case showcased India’s ability to deploy advanced financial intelligence techniques against cyber-enabled financial crimes, which have become a major national security concern with the rapid growth of digital payments and cryptocurrency adoption. The recognition also validates India’s institutional framework, including the PMLA, 2002, the enforcement role of the Directorate of Enforcement, and the coordination between FIU-IND and agencies such as I4C.
India’s performance at the BECA over two consecutive years (2025 and 2026) underscores the strengthening of its AML/CFT regime and its growing leadership role within the Egmont Group, where Indian officials have recently secured leadership positions including Vice-Chair roles in the Information Exchange Working Group and Policy and Procedures Working Group.
Key Takeaways
- The Best Egmont Case Award (BECA) 2026 was won by Taiwan’s Anti-Money Laundering Division (AMLD) for the Prince Group money laundering case.
- FIU-IND was the runner-up for its investigation into a cyber fraud network involving ₹868 crore, over 5,000 mule bank accounts, and cryptocurrency transactions.
- The Egmont Group was established in 1995 at the Egmont Palace in Brussels and its secretariat is in Ottawa, Canada, with over 182 member FIUs.
- The BECA competition was launched in 2011 and is organised by the Technical Assistance and Training Working Group (TATWG) of the Egmont Group.
- Taiwan’s AMLD secured 76 out of 106 votes (72%) at the Plenary in Baku, Azerbaijan, where 130 FIU representatives and 15 international organisations participated.
- FIU-IND was established on 18 November 2004, operates under the Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance, and is headquartered in Connaught Place, New Delhi.
- The Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002 is the primary legal framework under which the Directorate of Enforcement acts on FIU-IND’s intelligence.
