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APGML 2023/24 annual business report highlights regional AML/CFT progress, mutual evaluations, and typologies on emerging financial crime trends

This report highlights the achievements of the APG over the reporting period against the goals and strategies contained in the Strategic Plan 2020-2024…

Asian Banking & Finance: Thailand tightens AML measures after UN report

Thailand is tightening its AML/CFT measures following a UN report linking its banks to weapons procurement. The Bank of Thailand and AMLO announced stricter customer verification, enhanced scrutiny for high-risk customers, and additional documentation requirements for transactions involving dual-use items. These measures aim to prevent financial institutions from being exploited for ML, terrorism, or human rights abuses…

AML Intelligence: UAE’s ‘Falcon Economy’ thrives as Emirates finalize third milestone of financial crime strategy with NRA set for imminent launch

The UAE’s “Falcon Economy” is thriving with strong foreign investment and major infrastructure projects. Concurrently, the country is advancing its Anti-Financial Crime (AFC) and AML efforts, including the upcoming release of its National Risk Assessment (NRA). Key milestones also include the publication of a National AML/CFT Strategy and the establishment of a new AML super-agency, the General Secretariat…

FATF urges Argentina to enhance prosecutions, bolster risk understanding, improve FIU resources, increase high-risk sector reporting, and adopt a RBA to NPOs

Latest report notes steps taken with respect to international cooperation, domestic agency coordination, AML/CFT supervision, and money laundering convictions and confiscations. However, Argentina will remain in enhanced follow-up, with next report due in 2025.

 

BBC: Bangladesh’s AML agency has requested banks to provide account and transaction details linked to Treasury Minister Tulip Siddiq

The Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit has requested account details linked to Tulip Siddiq, her family, and her aunt Sheikh Hasina the former prime minister, following allegations of embezzlement of £3.9bn from Bangladesh’s infrastructure funds. Siddiq, named in the investigation last month, has denied the claims. Her spokesperson stated that no evidence has been provided and she has not been contacted regarding the matter…

Bloomberg: Federal authorities propose increasing AML oversight penalties by up to 40 times

Ottawa plans to increase penalties for AML oversight failures by up to 40 times with maximum fines reaching US$ 20 million per violation or 3% of annual global revenue. Additional measures include boosting fines for criminal offences by 10 times and providing clearer guidelines on jail terms. The move follows growing scrutiny of money laundering, highlighted by cases like TD Bank’s US$ 4.42 billion penalty in the US for oversight failures…

Thai authorities stress the importance of protecting the financial sector from ML/TF and weapons proliferation amid growing global conflicts

The Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO) and the Bank of Thailand (BOT) join forces to outline heightened risks from high-risk countries and to address concerns raised in 2023 report by the OHCHR, which alleged that some Thai financial institutions facilitated transactions linked to Myanmar’s military government, suspected of human rights violations.

 

FATF praises Oman in latest evaluation report for achieving positive results in areas such as financial intelligence, international cooperation, and combating TF

Among many strengths identified in the report is a warning that excessive measures on NPOs may be disrupting legitimate activities. FATF advises Oman to remove the requirement for NPOs to be reporting entities.

FATF assesses Nauru’s AML/CFT framework, highlights low ML/TF risks but calls for improved risk understanding and enforcement

Report accepts that Nauru has a low risk for ML/TF, but identifies opportunities to improve Targeted Financial Sanctions implementation and cross-border currency controls, and to update the 2023 National Risk Assessment.

FATF identifies need for Papua New Guinea to strengthen resourcing of AML/CFT institutions, improve beneficial ownership data collection and enhance cross-border cooperation

Other areas flagged in the latest follow-up report on Papua New Guinea include the use of financial intelligences, out-of-date ML/TF risk assessments and risk-based supervision of high-risk FIs and DNFBPs.

FATF highlights significant gaps in Timor-Leste’s AML/TF risk understanding, supervision, enforcement, and guidance

Report urges the updating and broadening risk assessments, including for NPOs and legal persons, supporting financial inclusion with simplified measures for low-risk areas and prioritizing investigations into high-risk crimes like corruption, tax evasion, and trafficking.

Reuters: Canada’s FINTRAC partners with US agencies through MoU to strengthen AML efforts

FINTRAC announced a partnership with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and Federal Reserve Board to share information and strengthen AML and anti-terrorist financing compliance in cross-border banking. This enhanced collaboration aims to address emerging risks, improve detection, and reduce ML/TF exposure. FINTRAC also imposed a record C$9.2 million penalty on TD Bank for AML regulation violations…

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