ABSTRACT
The use of intelligence-based techniques to investigate fraud and economic crime is now becoming increasingly the norm. Although intelligence provides a platform for many different aspects of an investigation, it has a particularly prominent role to play in the tracing of the proceeds of economic crime and corruption. This chapter attempts to define what intelligence is, how it is received and how it is put to effective use by the law enforcement community. It considers how intelligence can be improved. Intelligence is therefore essentially about the flow of information and how that information is evaluated, analysed and disseminated to law enforcement agencies. The amount of information and sources available to law enforcement agencies that have developed an intelligence strategy, or are about to, is extensive, although it will vary in different countries. Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) 2000 also addresses the crucial aspect of data protection in the context of communications protection.
