The 2013 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report (“INCSR“) published this month by the U.S. Department of State, particularly volume I on the drug trafficking trade, is more favourable of Canada than the last two years, primarily as a result of the enactment in Canada of the Omnibus Crime Bill C-10, know as the Safe Streets and [...]
Global Financial Integrity has released an interesting study detailing the illicit flow of funds from Russia to other countries. The highlights of the study entitled “Russia: Illicit Financial Flows and the Role of the Underground Economy”, available here, are that: From 1994 – 2011, Russia lost US$211 billion in illicit cash outflow; Most of the [...]
The European Commission formally proposed today that amendments to anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing laws include measures to capture online gambling activities. Up until now, AML legislation has only included land-based casinos. The proposals would be implemented if approved by all 27 member states. Online gambling sites are unregulated for money laundering and terrorist financing [...]
According to Bloomberg News, the AG for Switzerland opened a criminal probe of UBS AG on August 29 as a result of a complaint filed by Bruno Manser Fund, a rain-forest advocacy group, that alleged that UBS AG allowed its bank to be used to launder proceeds of crime from Musa Aman, Chief Minister of [...]
Once again, Canada has been listed as a jurisdiction of money laundering concern by the U.S. Department of State in its annual International Narcotics Control Strategy Report, available here. Other jurisdictions of concerns include Columbia, Brazil, Afghanistan, Venezuela, Mexico Russia and Somalia. The findings are similar to those reported by the U.S. Department of State [...]
The U.S. Attorney has filed a money laundering complaint commencing an in rem forfeiture action against the Lebanese Canadian Bank and others, seeking penalties of US$446 million in connection with what it says was a money laundering scheme operated by the Bank. The action is one of the first trade-based money laundering cases. As part of the alleged [...]
The Swiss government has announced that it has frozen several bank accounts that it suspects belong to departed Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak, his family and close associates, until the source of funds can be verified. Mubarak’s wealth is estimated to be €51 billion; a large portion of it is said to be held in bank [...]
The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network has issued an advisory to U.S. financial institutions to take special precaution when dealing with funds from Tunisian politically exposed persons because of the increased money laundering risk if those funds are from the proceeds of crime (e.g. misappropriated or diverted State assets, proceeds of bribery, public corruption or other [...]
Two former executives of the Miami-based telecommunications company Latin Node Inc., Jorge Granados and Manuel Caceres, were arrested on Monday on money laundering and foreign corruption charges. The pair were indicted on 19 separate charges for allegedly paying more than US$500,000 in bribes to government officials in Honduras during 2006 and 2007 to obtain preferred telecommunications rates [...]