The Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APG) was officially established as an autonomous regional anti-money laundering body in February 1997 at the Fourth (and last) Asia/Pacific Money Laundering Symposium in Bangkok , Thailand . The purpose of the APG is to facilitate the adoption, implementation and enforcement of internationally accepted anti-money laundering and anti-terrorist financing standards set out in the recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).

The APG's role includes assisting jurisdictions in the region to enact laws dealing with the proceeds of crime, mutual legal assistance, confiscation, forfeiture and extradition. It also includes the provision of guidance in setting up systems for reporting and investigating suspicious transactions and helping in the establishment of financial intelligence units. The APG undertakes studies of methods and trends of money laundering and the financing of terrorism in the Asia/Pacific region. The APG allows for regional factors to be taken into account in the implementation of anti-money laundering and anti-terrorist financing measures and provides for peer review by means of a mutual evaluation process.

The APG is a voluntary and co-operative international body established by agreement among its members and is autonomous. It does not derive from an international treaty nor is it part of any international organization. However, it keeps itself informed of action taken or formal agreements made by relevant international and regional organizations or bodies in order to promote a consistent global response to money laundering and terrorist financing. The work to be done by the APG and its procedures is decided by consensus agreement among its members.

India became a member of the APG in March, 1998.