"The drivers behind the involvement of Chinese Money Laundering Organizations are solidly linked to other countries domestic policies, not U.S. immigration"
"While other professional MLOs profit from the purchase of criminal proceeds, CMLOs’ primary objective is to gain access to U.S. dollars outside of formal channels in order to evade #China’s currency controls" @cmavrellis at @GOPoversight
"Another “tried and true” method that has been frequently used by both CMLOs and narcotics traffickers is the black-market peso exchange (BMPE), a type of trade-based money laundering scheme that is particularly difficult to detect" @cmavrellis@GOPoversight
"BMPE schemes have often been conducted as a two-country transaction involving the destination and source countries, for example the U.S. and #Colombia. With the involvement of CMLOs, the schemes have now become three-country transactions" @cmavrellis@GOPoversight
"As long as CMLOs can provide low commission rates, near real-time mirror exchanges, and handle large volumes of cash, they will remain a preferred money laundering service for DTOs" @cmavrellis@GOPoversight
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U.S. real estate continues to remain a favored destination for illicit activity.
Global Financial Integrity built a database of more than 100 real estate money laundering cases from the U.S., UK, & Canada reported between 2015-2020.
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The use of anonymous shell companies and complex corporate structures continues to be the number one money laundering typology.
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82% of US cases involved the use of legal entities to mask ownership, highlighting the importance of implementing a robust BO registry under the Corporate Transparency Act.
1. Verification: To ensure accuracy of Beneficial Ownership information and to comply with FATF Recommendation 24, a provision that provides for a verification of Beneficial Ownership data.
2. Direct access for competent authorities: The @BRS_Kenya should therefore consider direct access to Beneficial Ownership information for competent authorities and in the course of public procurement.
US sanctions on #Russia following the invasion of #Ukraine include freezing assets such as real estate.
GFI found a significant % of money laundered through real estate comes from abroad & involves Politically Exposed Persons like those being sanctioned.🧵 gfintegrity.org/report/acres-o…
In the UK and Canada, GFI found top origins of foreign money laundered through real estate included Russia, as well as a significant number of Russian PEPs involved in this real estate money laundering.
One case GFI studied involved Russian Oligarch Dmytro Firtash who has close ties to Putin purchasing Brompton Road underground station from UK’s Ministry of Defense for $76.5 million in February 2014.