The “Regional Workshop on AML Frameworks: Tackling Traditional and Modern Challenges in the Digital Age” (the Workshop) co-organised by the University of Hong Kong (HKU) and Hong Kong Customs starting June 9 and concluded on June 12. This Workshop brought together over 60 participants from Customs administrations, government agencies, international organizations, law enforcement agencies and academia across Hong Kong and the Asia-Pacific (A/P) region.
This Workshop marks a significant milestone in the partnership between HKU and Hong Kong Customs, following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the "International Forum on Combating Money Laundering and Transnational Organized Crimes" in December 2024. The MoU laid the foundation for enhanced collaboration in research, capacity building, and knowledge exchange in anti-money laundering (AML), counter-terrorist financing (CTF), and technology enforcement. Held in the campus of HKU, the Workshop brought together over 60 participants from Customs administrations, government agencies, law enforcement agencies and academia across Hong Kong and the Asia-Pacific region.
The closing ceremony was officiated by Professor David Srolovitz, Dean of Engineering of HKU and Mr Wong Ho-yin, Assistant Commissioner (Intelligence and Investigation) of the Hong Kong Customs.
Professor Srolovitz emphasized the timeliness of this workshop in the age of rapid digital transformation and the importance of uniting academia, technology developers, law enforcement, government, and the financial industry to address the complexities of financial crime today. HKU Engineering remains dedicated to driving innovation and education to empower professionals to create a secure and transparent financial future.
In his closing remarks, Assistant Commissioner (Intelligence and Investigation) of Customs and Excise, Mr Wong Ho-yin highlighted the workshop’s success in enriching knowledge, fostering regional co-operation, and building critical connections among law enforcement agencies, academia, and industry. He reaffirmed that adaptability, international collaboration and capacity building were crucial to mitigating the risks of financial crimes. Participants should work on the groundwork for closer regional partnership laid by the Workshop so as to promote intelligence sharing and support cross-boundary investigations and enforcement cooperation.
The Workshop features a comprehensive programme, with leading experts and practitioners delivering lectures on a wide range of topics including AML strategies and emerging typologies, regulation of virtual asset and crypto-related crime investigations, application of RegTech in financial crime prevention and international cooperation and best practices in AML/CTF.
