Our extensive knowledge at your fingertips

Over 20 years of articles and reference material

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

Browse the resource database or make a sub-selection:

Latest editions

Search

MONEYVAL publishes Fifth Round Mutual Evaluation report on Azerbaijan

Notes that conversion from intelligence obtained through suspicious transactions reports (STRs) and other reports into case investigations and ultimately prosecutions is insufficient. The absence of a beneficial ownership framework is also remarked upon.

CFTAF publishes Mutual Evaluation Report on the British Virgin Islands

Finds that the overall understanding of ML/TF  risks is “fair and narrow”, although most prosecutions comprise simple cases of possession of cash proceeds derived for drug trafficking.

DEA issues letter to E-commerce companies on the sale of pill presses used to make fentanyl pills

In 2023, the Drug Enforcement Administration seized over 79 million fake pills containing fentanyl—a more than 33% increase from the year before. DEA laboratory testing currently indicates that 7 out of 10 pills contain a potentially deadly dose of fentanyl.

FATF sets out methodology for the fifth round of mutual evaluations

The next round of mutual evaluations will be a six-year cycle, significantly shorter than earlier rounds, which lasted 10 years on average. There will be a strenghtened focus on effectiveness and greater emphasis on the major risks and context. Recommendations will also be more results-oriented

The EU Council and EU Parliament select Frankfurt as the seat of the future European authority for anti-money laundering and countering terrorist financing (AMLA)

AMLA is the centrepiece of the reform of the EU’s AML framework, which will have direct and indirect supervisory powers over obliged entities and the power to impose sanctions and measures. AMLA will be based in Frankfurt and will begin operations mid-2025. It will have over 400 staff members…

 

 

 

FINTRAC updates guidance related to the ministerial directive on financial transactions associated with Russia

This guidance is related to the Ministerial Directive issued by the Minister of Finance that was published in the Canada Gazette and came into force on February 24, 2024.

FATF removes Barbados, Gibraltar, UAE and Uganda from its ‘Grey List’ and these countries will no longer be subject to increased monitoring

In order to be removed from FATF monitoring, a jurisdiction must address all or nearly all the components of its action plan. Once the FATF has determined that a jurisdiction has done so, it will organise an on-site visit to confirm that the implementation of the necessary legal, regulatory, and/or operational reforms is underway…

 

Europol announces the arrest of five high value targets arrested as one of the largest networks smuggling migrants across the English Channel halted

French and Belgian judicial orders executed in Germany led to 19 arrests and 28 locations raided following an 18-month-long joint investigation under Europol’s Operational Task Force Wave in an action coordinated by Eurojust.

Home Office issues Policy paper in response to Law Commission’s review of the SARs regime

The government acknowledges the need to improve the SARs regime and is committed to implementing changes to enhance efficiency and effectiveness. They are exploring options to simplify and streamline the SARs process while ensuring appropriate information sharing between law enforcement agencies…

Singapore’s biggest money laundering case tests city’s weak property market

A mass sale of prized real estate seized in Singapore’s biggest money-laundering case is set to provide a key test of demand for a niche part of the financial hub’s property market. More than a dozen so-called shophouses, each worth millions of dollars, have been put on sale as the nation’s largest bank, DBS Group Holdings, steps up efforts to reduce…

 

GFI publishes new policy brief on “Leveraging Regional Frameworks for Beneficial Ownership Reforms”

Assesses the roles and impact of regional frameworks, notably the East Africa Community (EAC), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), and the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

Eurojust conducts over 100 searches and four arrests in Latvia, Germany, France, Italy and Malta against financial institution involved in money laundering

National authorities in Latvia, Germany, France, Italy and Malta have carried out over 100 searches in a large-scale operation against a Russian-Eurasian criminal network and a Maltese-based financial institution allegedly involved in money-laundering services. The financial institution is accused of laundering at least EUR 4.5 million from illicit activities since the end of 2015…