Are You Guilty of Money-Laundering? A Tale of Chinese Cotton, Lawyer’s Fees and Unintended Consequences – Financial Remedies Journal

‘It is not often that a family law blog warns ordinary hard-working honest family lawyers that they might be unwitting criminals. This is that blog. You should read it.’

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Financial Remedies Journal, 17th September 2024

Source: financialremediesjournal.com

Restraint Orders: Is Complexity of Financial Structures and Indicator of Dishonesty – Expert Witness Journal

Posted September 5th, 2024 in corruption, fraud, money laundering, news, proceeds of crime, restraint orders by sally

‘Solicitors dealing with complex fraud, money-laundering and corruption cases are very well used to having clients who are particularly vexed about their assets being restrained by a law-enforcement agency at a without notice hearing, the application perhaps being made without a charging decision even being in sight. This article focuses on the reliance, arguably the over-reliance by investigators and prosecutors, of complex financial arrangements uncovered by the financial investigators which are then labelled as, e.g. a “complex web”, “designed to obfuscate” or to keep the world in the dark about true beneficial ownership etc. In a challenge to the Restraint Order are these complex arrangements a difficult hurdle to clear for defenders?’

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Expert Witness Journal, August 2024

Source: www.paperturn-view.com

SRA: Convictions highlight Chinese ‘underground banking’ danger – Legal Futures

‘The sentencing of seven people involved in a money laundering network via Chinese underground banking is a valuable reminder to solicitors of its risks, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has said.’

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Legal Futures, 30th August 2024

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Chinese gang jailed for operating £55m money-laundering ring – The Guardian

Posted August 28th, 2024 in China, gangs, imprisonment, money laundering, news, sentencing by tracey

‘Seven people have been jailed for operating an undercover £55m money-laundering ring aimed at international university students seeking to bypass limits on the amount of cash that can be taken out of China.’

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The Guardian, 27th August 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

Property firm fined £22k for money laundering failures – Legal Futures

‘A property law firm in Manchester has been handed a fine of nearly £22,000 for failures in anti-money laundering (AML) procedures, towards the top end of the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s (SRA) powers.’

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Legal Futures, 14th August 2024

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Wife of jailed Azeri banker forfeits house near Harrods and Ascot golf club – The Guardian

Posted August 6th, 2024 in false accounting, forfeiture, married persons, money laundering, news by tracey

‘A mansion in Knightsbridge and a golf club in Ascot owned by the wife of the jailed Azeri banker Jahangir Hajiyev have been forfeited to the British state as part of a settlement worth an estimated £18.5m to taxpayers.’

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The Guardian, 5th August 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

How clean is your cash? – Mountford Chambers

‘Fatima Jama examines the Court of Appeal’s decision in R (World Uyghur Congress) v National Crime Agency [2024] EWCA Civ 715, and its implications.’

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Mountford Chambers, 16th July 2024

Source: www.mountfordchambers.com

Wiltshire serial fraudster and shoplifter who made more than £500k jailed – The Guardian

‘A woman who made more than half a million pounds by travelling throughout England and Wales shoplifting and then claiming refunds on the stolen goods has been jailed for 10 years.’

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The Guardian, 30th July 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

Uyghur v NCA – and how it could affect law firms – Law Society’s Gazette

‘In its recent judgment in World Uyghur Congress v National Crime Agency, the Court of Appeal addressed the application of the money laundering provisions of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (POCA) in the context of international supply chains. The appeal court’s clarification of the scope of the ‘adequate consideration’ exemption under POCA has wide-reaching implications not only for businesses with global supply chains but for all professional services firms in the UK.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 19th July 2024

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Cowboy builders who conned elderly victims jailed – BBC News

‘A gang of cowboy builders who preyed on more than 20 homeowners across England and Wales, defrauding them out of a collective £1.2m, have been jailed.’

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BBC News, 15th July 2024

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

SRA to appeal decision to clear Dentons over AML breaches – Legal Futures

‘The High Court looks set to rule on whether a tribunal was right to find that Dentons’ breach of the anti-money laundering (AML) rules was “inadvertent” and did not amount to professional misconduct.’

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Legal Futures, 15th July 2024

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Vatican taken to trial for first time in an English court – The Guardian

Posted June 27th, 2024 in foreign jurisdictions, money laundering, news, sale of land, tribunals by sally

‘The Vatican has gone on trial in an English court for the first time, accused of subjecting a British businessman to “incoherent and confused” allegations over a London property deal.’

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The Guardian, 26th June 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

Dentons’ breach of AML rules was “inadvertent” – Legal Futures

‘A breach of the anti-money laundering (AML) rules by Dentons, the world’s largest law firm, was “inadvertent” and did not amount to professional misconduct, the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) has ruled.’

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Legal Futures, 24th June 2024

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Gang made millions selling fake Xanax pills on dark web – BBC News

‘A drugs gang produced millions of counterfeit Xanax pills in garden sheds and garages, selling them to customers across the UK and US.’

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BBC News, 19th June 2024

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Nearly 40% of dirty money is laundered in London and UK crown dependencies – The Guardian

Posted May 15th, 2024 in Cayman Islands, London, money laundering, news, statistics by sally

‘Nearly 40% of the dirty money in the world is going through the City of London and other crown dependencies, the UK’s deputy foreign secretary has said.’

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The Guardian, 14th May 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

Restraint Orders: Is Complexity of Financial Structures an Indicator of Dishonesty? – Doughty Street Chambers

Posted April 30th, 2024 in chambers articles, corruption, fraud, money laundering, news, restraint orders by sally

‘Solicitors dealing with complex fraud, money-laundering and corruption cases are very well used to having clients who are particularly vexed about their assets being restrained by a law-enforcement agency at a without notice hearing, the application perhaps being made without a charging decision even being in sight. This article focuses on the reliance, arguably the over-reliance by investigators and prosecutors, of complex financial arrangements uncovered by the financial investigators which are then labelled as, e.g. a ‘complex web’, ‘designed to obfuscate’ or to keep the world in the dark about true beneficial ownership etc. In a challenge to the Restraint Order are these complex arrangements a difficult hurdle to clear for defenders?’

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Doughty Street Chambers, 22nd April 2024

Source: insights.doughtystreet.co.uk

SRA anti-money laundering blitz continues with £76k in fines – Legal Futures

‘The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) blitz on breaches of anti-money laundering (AML) rules has continued, with more than £76,000 in fines handed out to a solicitor and four law firms.’

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Legal Futures, 22nd April 2024

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Universal Credit: Gang guilty of large £53.9m benefit fraud – BBC News

Posted April 10th, 2024 in benefits, Crown Prosecution Service, fraud, gangs, money laundering, news by sally

‘Five members of an organised gang have been convicted of what has been described by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) as the largest case of benefit fraud in England and Wales.’

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BBC News, 10th April 2024

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

UK bitcoin money laundering case underscores key prevention role of professional services – OUT-LAW.com

Posted March 25th, 2024 in cryptocurrencies, legal profession, money laundering, news by tracey

‘A recent case involving the seizure of over £2 billion worth of bitcoin in the UK highlights the crucial role professionals in the financial and legal sectors can play in preventing money laundering, a financial crime expert has said.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 22nd March 2024

Source: www.pinsentmasons.com

Woman found with £2bn in Bitcoin convicted of money laundering arrangement offence – BBC News

Posted March 21st, 2024 in cryptocurrencies, money laundering, news by sally

‘A former takeaway worker found with Bitcoin worth more than £2bn has been convicted at Southwark Crown Court of a crime linked to money laundering.’

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BBC News, 20th March 2024

Source: www.bbc.co.uk