A two-day peer-to-peer exchange on the effective investigation, prosecution and asset recovery in money laundering and terrorist financing cases (ML/TF) took place in Madrid, Spain, on 23–24 June 2026. The event was hosted by the Ministry of the Presidency, Justice, and Parliamentary Relations of Spain and brought together representatives from the competent national authorities of Spain and Bulgaria, including financial intelligence units (FIUs), law enforcement agencies, public prosecution services, security and intelligence bodies, asset recovery and management authorities, as well as justice sector officials from both participating countries.
Discussions focused on issues of interest for Bulgarian authorities, namely the initiation and conduct of parallel financial investigations in ML and TF, investigative approaches, the use of circumstantial evidence, and the critical role of inter-agency coordination and swift information sharing with FIUs and judicial authorities. The exchanges also touched upon the importance of asset tracing, particularly with crypto-assets, rapid freezing and recovery of illicit wealth, including via non-conviction-based confiscation, and the effective management of confiscated assets.
Practitioners presented real cross-border cases where Spain and Bulgaria collaborated to dismantle complex money laundering and terrorist financing networks, sharing operational lessons and highlighting best practices to overcome hurdles in joint investigations. Issues such as corporate liability, the use of strawmen, and the convergence of organised crime and terrorism and terrorist financing were also in the focus of the exchange.
The exchange ultimately reinforced the necessity for proactive cooperation, multidisciplinary teams, and rapid adaptation to new financial crime trends, such as digital banking and decentralised finance. It clearly demonstrated the value of strong institutional partnerships, seamless engagement between FIUs, prosecutors, intelligence and law enforcement agencies, as well as agile cross-border mutual legal assistance, in tackling emerging threats.
This activity forms part of the Technical Support Instrument (TSI) project on “Enhancing the anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) framework in Bulgaria”, co-funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe, and implemented by the Council of Europe.