Money Laundering: Targeting Criminal Proceeds

Targeting the proceeds of crime is a key element in law enforcement, both because it disincentivizes crime and because it can be the only way to cripple a criminal organization such as a multinational drug-trafficking cartel, which can easily withstand the loss of personnel to arrests or drug shipments to seizures. Furthermore, tying an organization to a financial transaction involving drug money can be the best or sometimes the only way of linking an organization to the drugs themselves and providing sufficient evidence for prosecution. Without a bank or other institution providing a lead by reporting suspicious activity, it can be difficult to uncover money laundering. Even then, many of the leads reported by banks will prove to be innocent.

Various agencies have adopted different strategies ...