Ralph O'Neal said the Caribbean territory's executive council recently approved his order, which will extend existing British anti-terrorism financial legislation to the British Virgin Islands.

The islands are among the world's leaders in the registration of International Business Companies, known as shell companies, which can be registered easily by foreigners and are protected by strict secrecy rules.

The territory already has agreements with the United States and European nations that allow law enforcement officials access to otherwise secret information about account holders, O'Neal said.

So far, regulators in the islands have discovered no links between businesses registered in the territory and terrorists suspected with having links to the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States, O'Neal said.

He said the officials would continue to work with Britain to ensure that no money linked to terrorism or other crimes enters the British Virgin Islands.