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Singapore’s National Anti-Money Laundering Strategy sets out the strategic approach to address ML risks

Singapore’s National Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Strategy sets out the strategic approach to address money laundering (ML) risks and will guide our risk-targeted actions to combat ML amidst rapidly changing risks, trends and criminal typologies. Combatting ML is of national importance to Singapore. Maintaining an effective AML framework protects Singapore’s system from illegal activities and illicit asset fund flows and reinforces Singapore’s reputation as a trusted international financial centre and business hub…

Companies House Strategic Intelligence Assessment provides a clear overview of identified threats, including the misuse of corporate structures for ML, fraud, and corruption

It emphasises the risks associated with shell companies, opaque ownership, and international criminal networks exploiting UK business registrations. The NCA estimates that ML affecting the UK may exceed £100 billion annually. The key concerns include mass corporations: Criminals may exploit mass incorporations to establish shell companies, increasing fraud & ML, with a 19.3% rise…

The Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance (CCAF) unveils its 2nd Global Cryptoasset Regulatory Landscape Study, highlighting the emerging practices and early lessons learned

Some quick insights include: Cross-Border Challenges: The global nature of crypto assets makes regulation complex. While countries are working together more closely, they’re also setting up national restrictions to control the risks of offshore activities. Focus on Stablecoins and DeFi: Stablecoins are drawing intense scrutiny, especially in developed economies, where there’s concern over stability and redemption rights. DeFi remains mostly unregulated, with regulators more interested in controlling access points like user interfaces rather than the protocols themselves…

 

GIABA reports significant progress by Côte d’Ivoire in addressing technical compliance gaps identified in 2023 Mutual Evaluation

Côte d’Ivoire remains in enhanced follow-up, but is re-rated to Compliant on Recommendation 11 (record-keeping), Recommendation 18 (programs to prevent AML/CFT) and Recommendation 20 (reporting of suspicious transactions).

UNODC estimates that opium cultivation in Afghanistan has increased by 19% during the second year of the drugs ban

The increase follows on a 95 per cent decrease in cultivation during the 2023 crop season, when the de-facto Authorities of Afghanistan enforced a ban that virtually eliminated poppy cultivation across much of the country. Despite the increase in 2024, opium poppy cultivation remains far below 2022, when an estimated 232,000 hectares were cultivated.

ICIJ reveals that French authorities seized an estimated $75m worth of French Riviera real estate and luxury cars as part of an investigation into alleged ML

Eight properties, including villas on the French Riviera, and two luxury cars were seized as part of a money laundering probe into suspect offshore lending companies…

Gambling Commission publishes its 2024 Young People and Gambling Report, its annual study into children’s and young people’s exposure to, and involvement in, all types of gambling

The research was conducted in schools, with pupils completing online self-completion surveys in class. The study collected data from a sample of 3,869 11 to 17 year olds between January and June 2024. Headline statistics include: 27 percent of young people spent their own money on gambling in the 12 months prior to taking part in the survey; the most common types of gambling activity that young people spent their own money on were legal or did not feature age restricted products…

Europol supports Albania and Italy in dismantling a vast criminal network of drug traffickers from South America

Law enforcement authorities in Albania and Italy have taken down a drug trafficking criminal network led by two Albanian brothers, believed to be responsible for organising drug shipments from South America to several EU Member States.

UNODC issues report on Drug trafficking dynamics across Iraq and the Middle East: Trends and Responses

Notes that Iraq is becoming ‘a critical juncture in the complex trafficking dynamics observed in the Near and Middle East region’, with activity related to the production and trade of the methamphetamine ‘Captagon’ being of heightened concern.

HM Treasury issues guidance on the offence of ‘failure to prevent fraud’ introduced by ECCTA

Under the offence, which was created by the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023, an organisation may be criminally liable where an employee, agent, subsidiary, or other “associated person”, commits a fraud intending to benefit the organisation and the organisation did not have reasonable fraud prevention procedures in place.

SRA releases its latest AML Annual Report 2023-24, showing increased regulatory action against firms

Report shows that in 2023/24 the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) took regulatory action against firms in relation to anti-money laundering breaches in 78 cases – an increase on the previous year (47). In more than half of the cases, the most common breaches related to firms having inadequate risk assessments or AML controls. 44 fines were issued, totalling £556,832.

Egmont Group requests proposals from potential vendors to plan, develop, and train the EGS IT team to a Data Matching system

The Data Matching system will allow Financial Intelligence Unites (FIUs) identify hits between subjects of interest of one FIU and those of another, without revealing the list of queried subjects to the other FIU.