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Money Laundering & Terrorist Financing

Over 20 years of articles and reference material

A page dedicated to global, regional, UK and US anti-money laundering developments and initiatives.

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NCA exposes a billion-dollar Russian ML network that allegedly bought a Lithuanian bank to funnel war-funding, revealing a sophisticated web of shell firms, corrupt intermediaries and global illicit finance

November 21, 2025

Through Operation Destabilise, the NCA uncovers a sprawling criminal network operating across at least 28 UK cities that funnels cash from drugs, firearms, and people-smuggling into cryptocurrency, and which uses a bank acquisition in Kyrgyzstan to channel funds to entities supporting Russia’s military-industrial complex. To date, authorities have arrested 128 suspects and seized more than £25 million in cash ….

FATF highlights in a new webinar that financial inclusion and effective AML/CFT go hand-in-hand, urging proportionate, risk-based measures that expand safe access to formal financial services

November 20, 2025

The session examines the strengthened FATF Standard on the risk-based approach (Recommendation 1) and the newly published guidance on financial inclusion, presenting case studies from jurisdictions and financial-inclusion bodies to illustrate how simplified and proportionate measures can broaden access without compromising AML/CFT integrity. It also highlights the unintended consequences of overly strict compliance—such as de-risking and exclusion of low-income or underserved customers—and urges authorities…

AUSTRAC warns online payment platforms to tighten AML/CTF controls after uncovering transfers funding child sexual exploitation, urging firms to detect, report, and block high-risk activity 

November 19, 2025

Austrac highlights serious compliance gaps such as poor transaction monitoring, underreporting of suspicious activity, and failure to identify high-risk behaviours, and urging firms to flag suspicious transactions promptly, close high-risk accounts, and ensure robust monitoring to help law enforcement disrupt global child-exploitation networks…

Europol leads an IP cyber-patrol to disrupt sophisticated, crypto-funded digital piracy networks, tracing €47 M in illicit crypto flows and shutting down dozens of illegal streaming platforms

November 19, 2025

Europol traced around €47M in cryptocurrency to disrupt digital piracy networks, working with EUIPO and Spain’s Policía Nacional during a cross-border “Cyber-Patrol Week,” identifying 69 piracy and illegal streaming sites, referring 25 illicit IPTV services for takedown, and investigating 44 additional platforms, signaling a strategic shift from simply shutting down websites to targeting the financial flows sustaining…

US DOJ indicts Chicago crypto ATM founder for allegedly laundering $10M through digital currency, highlighting rising enforcement against anonymous crypto transactions

November 18, 2025

Prosecutors say the scheme involved cash (from fraud and drug offenses) being deposited into Crypto Dispensers’ cash‑to‑cryptocurrency ATMs, converted into crypto, then transferred to virtual wallets — effectively disguising the origin and ownership of illicit proceeds. The accused and his company have pleaded not guilty. A status hearing is scheduled for January 30, 2026…

Companies House launches mandatory ID verification for new directors and PSCs, rolling out over 12 months to crack down on bogus identities and strengthen the fight against fraud, ML, and economic crime

November 18, 2025

From this date, any new director or PSC must verify their identity before taking up their role, a move designed to ensure the UK’s company registry is accurate and to make it harder for criminals to use fake or stolen identities. Verified individuals receive a unique personal code; directors and PSCs must submit this code when making filings…

JMLSG proposes revisions to its AML/CTF Guidance aimed at tightening rules around internal controls, intra-group outsourcing and due diligence for group entities and intermediaries

November 17, 2025

The proposed updates would require firms to extend their AML/CFT obligations to intra-group and group company outsourcing arrangements, strengthen the role and authority of the MLRO when material risks arise, and apply risk-based supervision and reporting mechanisms in such contexts. They also clarify how customer-due-diligence (CDD) must be applied when dealing with regulated group companies, court-appointed deputies or intermediaries acting on behalf of clients, and add guidance on handling identity/authority verification and ongoing monitoring.

APGML’s follow-up report finds Myanmar has improved BO and trust rules but still falls short on key AML/CFT areas, including supervision, asset recovery, and tackling cross-border ML/TF networks

November 17, 2025

Myanmar’s limited progress results in two upgraded ratings—R.7 improves after new requirements to collect and verify beneficial-ownership information for legal persons, and R.25 improves following clearer obligations for trustees, nominee shareholders and company service providers—yet these reforms are narrow and largely technical. The jurisdiction nonetheless continues to exhibit extensive structural weaknesses, including minimal risk-based supervision of high-risk sectors, poor utilisation of financial intelligence…

APGML’s follow-up review of Nauru shows an improved supervisory framework, yet the Pacific island nation still faces gaps in beneficial-ownership transparency and risk-based supervision

November 17, 2025

Nauru’s sole re-rating upgrades Recommendation 29 to Compliant after the jurisdiction introduced a fully independent Financial Intelligence Unit with clear legal powers for analysis, dissemination and supervision, contributing to an overall tally of 38 Recommendations at Compliant or Largely Compliant. However, the report notes that two Recommendations remain Partially Compliant—relating mainly to transparency of legal persons and targeted financial sanctions—highlighting ongoing shortcomings in beneficial-ownership access, sanctions implementation and the broader application of risk-based supervisory measures.

APGML’s Mutual Evaluation follow-up report notes that despite stronger AML/CFT laws, Lao PDR still struggles with weak supervision, limited use of financial intelligence, and inadequate asset recovery

November 17, 2025

The country improves technical compliance significantly by re-rating eight recommendations—such as R.3 (criminalisation of money-laundering), R.5 (terrorist financing offence) and R.11/20 (financial intelligence and secrecy laws)—reflecting reforms to its AML/CFT law and expanded predicate-offence list. However, substantive deficiencies remain in effectiveness: the FATF identifies that Lao PDR must bolster its risk-based supervision of high-risk sectors (e.g., casinos, banks, special economic zones), enhance spontaneous…

Egmont Group Chair champions global FIU collaboration at AMLP Forum’s 19th Annual Conference, spotlighting strong networks as key to tackling FC and urging increased investment and innovation

November 17, 2025

Egmont emphasizes that advanced analytics, AI, and secure digital platforms enhance intelligence sharing and asset recovery, but success also depends on trust, expertise, and sufficient resources. She noted ongoing challenges such as fragmented data, legal barriers, and sophisticated criminal networks, and called for greater investment, operational independence, cross-agency cooperation, and public-private….

APGML’s follow-up report highlights Vietnam has strengthened AML/CFT laws and supervision, including digital assets, but key gaps in sanctions, due diligence, and reporting leave ML/TF risks high

November 16, 2025

Vietnam’s review shows progress in three areas: a stronger national risk-assessment framework (R.1), improved implementation of targeted financial sanctions (R.6), and better customer-due-diligence and beneficial-ownership transparency (R.7). However, 21 Recommendations remain Partially Compliant and 3 Non-Compliant, underscoring the need for further reform to meet FATF standards…

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