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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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FATF Week takes place in Mexico City (9–13 Feb 2026), culminating in the 5th Plenary (11–13 Feb) to address grey-list challenges, mutual evaluations, and the cutting-edge role of technology in fighting FC

February 4, 2026

The FATF Plenary (11–13 Feb), chaired by President Elisa de Anda Madrazo, will consider mutual evaluation reports for Austria, Italy, and Singapore, review progress of jurisdictions under increased monitoring, and examine how technology can be leveraged to strengthen the fight against financial crime. A public summary of outcomes will be released following the Plenary, along with a virtual press conference on 13 February…

AMLA sets strategic priorities with its 2026–28 Single Programming Document, focusing on the EU’s AML Single Rulebook, supervisory convergence, and stronger FIU cooperation

February 4, 2026

The plan focuses on three strategic priorities: completing the EU AML/CFT Single Rulebook, strengthening supervisory convergence across Member States, and improving cooperation between FIUs. Key activities for 2026 include delivering regulatory mandates, launching direct supervision, operationalising the FIU framework, building indirect supervision and oversight mechanisms, and developing AMLA’s risk-based supervisory frameworks. The Authority is also scaling up significantly — expanding staff and IT infrastructure…

JMLSG publishes final revisions to Part I of its AML/CFT Guidance, updating sections on data protection, MLRO responsibilities, and monitoring ML controls, with revisions submitted to HMT for approval

February 4, 2026

Revisions 6 to the JMLSG guidance refine and expand the UK’s industry-standard anti-money-laundering and counter-terrorist-financing framework by clarifying requirements on risk assessment, customer due diligence, ongoing monitoring and enhanced scrutiny of higher-risk relationships. The updates also incorporate recent regulatory developments and typologies, offering tailored guidance for sectors such as legal professionals, trust and company service providers, and non-profit organisations to improve consistency and effectiveness in detecting and mitigating financial crime risks…

MONEYVAL’s 2025 Evaluation Report praises Serbia’s AML/CFT progress but flags gaps in supervision, financial intelligence use, BO transparency and asset recovery, prompting a 3-year follow-up plan

February 4, 2026

MONEYVAL’s report acknowledges progress in Serbia’s understanding of money-laundering and terrorist-financing risks, improved national risk assessment processes, and more proactive investigation and prosecution of predicate offences. However, the body identifies continuing weaknesses in how financial supervisors apply risk-based approaches and in authorities’ ability to turn financial intelligence into effective action, and calls for further targeted reforms to strengthen overall AML/CFT effectiveness…

ASIC urges super trustees to step up and address serious gaps in anti-scam and fraud protections after reviewing 47 funds and finding weak and outdated member guidance

February 4, 2026

The regulator warned that the sector which safeguards about $4.3 trillion in retirement savings risks becoming a soft target for scammers, noting that super-related scams caused around $22 million in losses in 2025. ASIC identified shortcomings in the availability, clarity, and practical guidance provided to members, including limited reporting channels and insufficient support for scam victims, and urged trustees to improve prevention, detection, and response measures as scam risks continue to grow across the financial system…

The Human Rights Watch World Report 2026 warns that as democracy weakens and authoritarianism rises, corruption, illicit financial flows, and abuse of power are gaining ground globally

February 4, 2026

The report highlights widespread abuses across multiple regions including repression of women and girls in Afghanistan, ongoing civilian harm in conflicts such as Sudan, Gaza, and Ukraine, and increasing restrictions on civil society, media freedom, and minority rights worldwide. It also warns that the global rules-based order is under strain, but emphasizes that civil society movements, democratic alliances, and public accountability efforts remain essential to protecting human rights and sustaining democratic values…

EPPO seizes a clandestine cigarette factory in Italy with over 21.5 tonnes of tobacco and finished cigarettes, uncovering a multimillion‑euro smuggling and counterfeiting operation

February 3, 2026

EPPO’s investigation uncovered a large-scale illicit tobacco production site in Italy, leading to the seizure of the facility and more than 215 tonnes of unregistered tobacco and finished cigarettes—items linked to tax evasion and organised criminal networks exploiting the EU single market. The action reflects EPPO’s expanding operational role in combating cross-border economic crime that drains public revenues and supports organised crime activities…

FinTech Global’s article: The AML Maturity Curve and the Rise of Agentic Compliance, shows how AI is transforming AML compliance from manual checks into autonomous, proactive systems that combat FC

February 3, 2026

Financial institutions are moving along the “AML maturity curve” by adopting AI-powered systems that can autonomously manage compliance workflows, from risk detection and real-time monitoring to reporting. This shift transforms compliance from reactive, checklist-based processes to dynamic, end-to-end capabilities, allowing organisations to respond more effectively to complex financial crime threats while humans focus on oversight and strategic decision-making…

FCA ruling upheld by the UK Upper Tribunal finds Banque Havilland and two ex-employees schemed to weaken the Qatari riyal for profit, resulting in multi-million-pound fines and bans for market manipulation

February 3, 2026

The bank created a document nicknamed “Setting fire to the neighbour’s house fund”, outlining trades aimed at weakening Qatar’s currency peg to gain business advantage. The Tribunal confirmed misconduct but reduced the bank’s fine from £10 million to £4 million, while fines for the two individuals were also imposed, and both were banned from working in financial services. The FCA called the conduct a case of greed and emphasized holding those responsible accountable…

HKMA launches a Fintech Promotion Blueprint under its Fintech 2030 strategy, advancing AI-driven banking innovation, distributed-ledger technology, stronger data governance, and cyber-resilience

February 3, 2026

The plan includes four flagship initiatives a Quantum Preparedness Index, a new risk-data strategy, a fintech cybersecurity baseline, and industry-wide skills development support designed to strengthen risk management, supervision, and collaboration across Hong Kong’s fintech ecosystem while preparing the financial sector for emerging technologies…

FSB unveils its 2026 Work Programme, focusing on AI, digital innovation, cross-border payments, and operational resilience to tackle emerging FC risks and bolster global financial stability

February 3, 2026

Key priorities with relevance to financial crime include assessing vulnerabilities in markets and nonbank financial intermediation, monitoring cross‑border payments, and examining digital innovation and AI, all of which intersect with AML/CFT and fraud risks. The programme also emphasises operational resilience, crisis preparedness, and implementation of reforms, alongside public-private collaboration and regulatory modernisation, supporting more effective detection, prevention, and oversight of illicit financial activity globally…

Europol backs French authorities in a major probe into Platform X over deepfakes, child sexual abuse material, and other illegal content, exposing cross-border challenges of tackling cybercrime

February 3, 2026

The probe, which began in January 2025, involves searches of X’s French offices and examines suspected offences such as algorithm manipulation, dissemination and storage of illegal content—including child sexual abuse material and AI-generated deepfakes—and misuse of automated data systems. Europol’s involvement underscores the cross-border nature of the case and strengthens French efforts to address potential cybercrime and content-related violations by the platform…

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