Guidance Note 4 - Issue 4 - Effective 21 January 2014 - Updated November 2020

Sep 17, 2026

Guidance Note 4 provides requirements and practical guidance for identifying and reporting suspicious transaction reports under the Financial Intelligence and Anti Money Laundering Act 2002. It covers money laundering, terrorism financing, and proliferation financing, and explains reasonable grounds for suspicion. The note details how to identify suspicious transactions, common indicators, and sector-specific indicators for financial institutions, accountants, real estate agents, jewellery dealers, casinos, legal professionals, and entities on sanctions lists, including cash transactions exceeding specified thresholds. It also sets out responsibilities and submission timing for filing reports to the FIU.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages52

Reading Time2 h 11 min

AccessFree to download

INTRODUCTION

Commencement

Definitions

Purpose of the Guidance Note

MONEY LAUNDERING

Criminalisation of money laundering

Process of money laundering

TERRORISM FINANCING

PROLIFERATION FINANCING

SUSPICIOUS TRANSACTIONS

Reasonable Grounds

Completed or proposed and attempted transactions

IDENTIFYING A SUSPICIOUS TRANSACTION

How to identify a suspicious transaction?

Indicators of suspicious transactions

SPECIFIC EXAMPLES OF INDICATORS OF SUSPICIOUS TRANSACTIONS

General

Knowledge of reporting or record keeping requirements

Identity documents

Cash transactions

Economic purposes

Transactions involving accounts

Transactions involving areas outside Mauritius

Transactions related to offshore business activity

INDUSTRY-SPECIFIC INDICATORS

Financial institutions

Accountants

Real estate agents, property developers and land promoters

Dealers in jewellery, precious metals and stones

Casinos

Legal Professionals

Persons and entities on Sanctions Lists

Cash Transactions exceeding MUR 500,000 and its equivalent

REPORTING A SUSPICIOUS TRANSACTION

Who should file suspicious transaction reports?

When should a suspicious transaction report be submitted to the FIU?

Guidance Note 4 (Issued under Section 10(2)(c) of the Financial Intelligence and Anti Money Laundering Act 2002) Suspicious Transaction Reports Effective 21 January, 2014 Updated November 2020 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................... 5 1.1 Commencement ........................................................................................................................... 5 1.2 Definitions ..................................................................................................................................... 5 1.3 Purpose of the Guidance Note ................................................................................................. 7 2.0 MONEY LAUNDERING ................................................................................................................... 8 2.1 Criminalisation of money laundering .................................................................................... 8 2.2 Process of money laundering.................................................................................................. 8 3.0 TERRORISM FINANCING .............................................................................................................. 9 4.0 PROLIFERATION FINANCING .................................................................................................... 10 5.0 SUSPICIOUS TRANSACTIONS .................................................................................................. 11 5.1 Reasonable Grounds ............................................................................................................... 11 5.2 Completed or proposed and attempted transactions ................................................... 11 6.0 IDENTIFYING A SUSPICIOUS TRANSACTION ...................................................................... 12 6.1 How to identify a suspicious transaction? ......................................................................... 12 6.2 Indicators of suspicious transactions ................................................................................. 12 7.0 SPECIFIC EXAMPLES OF INDICATORS OF SUSPICIOUS TRANSACTIONS ................ 14 7.1 General ......................................................................................................................................... 14 7.2 Knowledge of reporting or record keeping requirements .............................................. 15 7.3 Identity documents ................................................................................................................... 15 7.4 Cash transactions ..................................................................................................................... 15 7.5 Economic purposes .................................................................................................................. 16 7.6 Transactions involving accounts .......................................................................................... 16 7.7 Transactions involving areas outside Mauritius ............................................................... 17 7.8 Transactions related to offshore business activity.......................................................... 18 8.0 INDUSTRY-SPECIFIC INDICATORS ......................................................................................... 19 8.1 Financial institutions .................................................................................................................... 19 8.1.1 Personal transactions .............................................................................................................. 19 8.1.2 Corporate and business transactions.................................................................................. 20 8.1.3 Non-profit organizations (Including registered charities) .

FAQs

What legal basis does Guidance Note 4 cite for issuing suspicious transaction guidance?

It is issued under Section 10(2)(c) of the Financial Intelligence and Anti Money Laundering Act 2002.

What topics are covered before the guide gets to suspicious transaction reporting?

The document addresses money laundering, terrorism financing, and proliferation financing, then explains what constitutes suspicious transactions and the basis for reasonable grounds.

How does the guidance support reporting suspicious transactions to the FIU?

It provides identification methods and indicators (including specific examples and industry-specific indicators), and includes sections on who should file suspicious transaction reports and when they should be submitted to the FIU.

Sep 17, 2026

Uploaded by Lucas Martin