Canada major money laundering country in 2014 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report on Financial Crime and Money Laundering

Tweet Canada a Major Money Laundering Country but A Lot Less So The 2014 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report (“INCSR“) published this month by the U.S. Department of State identifies Canada as a “major money laundering country” along with, among others, Afghanistan, Brazil, Cambodia, Cyprus, Dominican Republic, Guernsey, Jersey, Hong Kong, Libya, Mexico, Macau and Somalia. […]

Carson Yeung – The life of a money launderer in Hong Kong and Macau

Tweet Money laundering For junket operators Bloomberg has a great story on the rise and fall of Carson Yeung Ka-shing, the Hong Kong businessman and owner of the Birmingham City football club, convicted earlier this week of  laundering $93 million through, inter alia, junket operators and casinos in Macau. Mr. Yeung was arrested in June […]

Money laundering is “huge” in Hong Kong and Macau; Mixed judicial response to money laundering

Tweet Money laundering is more prevalent than elsewhere According to a recent survey of business people who operate and do business in Hong Kong and Macau, money laundering is a huge problem and in fact, is more prevalent there than anywhere else in the world. The results of the survey which were reported in South China […]

Canada’s diamond trade being used for money laundering and terrorist financing, report finds

Tweet Canada is among a handful of countries where the diamond industry is being used for money laundering and terrorist financing, according to a report by a global financial crime body. The report by the Financial Action Task Force, a Paris-based global body that sets standards to combat money laundering and terrorist financing, says that […]

PetroTiger executives charged with money laundering and bribery from Columbian transaction; general counsel pleads guilty

Tweet Two executives of PetroTiger, Ltd., a British Virgin Islands oil and gas company (“PetroTiger“), were charged with money laundering, wire fraud and bribery under the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (the “FCPA“) for allegedly bribing foreign public officials to obtain a $39 million contract from Ecopetrol S.A., a state-owned petroleum company in Columbia (“Ecopetrol“), Latin America’s […]

Financial services firms and institutions expect 40% increase in regulatory compliance for FATCA and anti-money laundering

Tweet According to a 2013 Financial Crime survey, 2014 is expected to be an expensive one for regulatory compliance , with more than 20% more being spent for each of anti-money laundering compliance and compliance  with the U.S. Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (“FATCA“), for a total of a 40% increase. Cybersecurity The financial crime […]

The $10 million AML compliance plan that cost a hedge fund $1.8 billion

Tweet Largest insider trading settlement ever SAC Capital Advisors has reached a global settlement (the “Settlement“) with the U.S. Department of Justice to plead guilty to insider trading, pay a record US$1.8 billion penalty, and agree to a term of probation of five years. The Settlement is the largest financial penalty in history for insider […]

Part 2 – Macau casinos with junket operators face regulatory balancing act amid international money laundering concerns

Tweet Increased pressure on Macau’s casinos Macau is facing a delicate balancing act – how to satisfy mounting international demands to crack down on money laundering and other criminal activities in its $38 billion gambling industry, without killing the goose that lays the golden egg. Finding a way of regulating the junket operators, which bring […]

Part 1 – How casino junkets work in VIP gambling rooms, luring in whale gamblers from China and how Macau junkets are trying to polish their image

Tweet This article was originally published in Asia Gambling Brief.  Macau junket operators of casino VIP rooms working on image Some of Macau’s biggest junket operators — also known as VIP gambling promoters — are planning to exhibit at next month’s Macau Gaming Show in a sign this integral part of the local gaming scene […]

“The party is over” – Columbia takes action on tax evasion and imposes 33% surtax on “hit list” countries

Tweet Party is over says Columbia Minister of Finance The government of Columbia is imposing a 33% surtax on assets moved out of the country by its nationals to known tax havens. The surtax will be assessed against individuals and corporations to curb the exodus of funds out of Columbia. The government estimates that the […]