It’s excellent to see the focus on this in government, a really important issue. I’m also personally gratified that the Security Minister used the phrase ‘high street money laundering’ as I feel we are one step closing to adopting the acronym HSML which I have copyrighted (I haven’t).

APPG on Anti-Corruption and Responsible Tax@appgonacrt.bsky.social · 11mo ago

❗High-street money laundering and tax abuse is damaging communities nationwide. After our APPG received a briefing from the NCA last week, APPG Chair @philbrickellmp.bsky.social asked the Home Office what they’re doing about it ⬇

This sounds to me like they’ll be weaponizing FATF recommendation 8 (prevention of terrorist abuse of the non profit sector). It’s a powerful tool that has been used by authoritarian regimes to shut down dissent.

Alejandra Caraballo@esqueer.net · 11mo ago

"We're going to go after the NGO Networks" JD Vance and Stephen Miller openly outline how they are going to crackdown on civil society and use the government to crush political opposition.

Following the crowd and maintaining the status quo is comfortable – and the kleptocrats, corrupt and criminals hope that does not change, write Georgia Jones, Tom Keatinge and Kathryn Westmore.

The Global Anti-Financial Crime System is Broken

Following the crowd and maintaining the status quo is comfortable – and the kleptocrats, corrupt and criminals hope that does not change.

rusi.org

🚨🧵New RUSI paper, ‘Following the Fraud: The Role of Money Mule’ by @kathrynwestmore.bsky.social and Allison Owen is out now!

Following the Fraud: The Role of Money Mules

This paper discusses the rising issue of fraud in the UK, particularly focusing on the role of money mules in facilitating authorised push payment fraud and the implications for national security and ...

rusi.org

Sunday lunch with a side of anti-money laundering.

We're hosting a panel event at RUSI at 0900 on 3 April to discuss the UK government's ongoing consultation on ransomware legislation. I'll be joined by: @alexmartin.bsky.social @kathrynwestmore.bsky.social Verona Hulse-Johnstone (NCC Group) Edward Lewis, CyXcel my.rusi.org/events/asses...

Assessing UK Ransomware Policy

Join an expert panel to discuss the UK government’s approach to ransomware.

my.rusi.org

I think my 5 year old might actually be trying to steal my job. He brought this home from school today. I’m pretty sure he’s making me redundant.

So many questions about how the UK’s proposed new OIC sanctions will work. We wrote a piece about some of those questions and what the government should consider to ensure the sanctions actually have an impact.

RUSI@rusi.bsky.social · 2y ago

The UK government has announced a new sanctions regime targeting organised immigration crime. But is the Labour government holding itself hostage to fortune like those that have come before? @keatingetom.bsky.social and @kathrynwestmore.bsky.social explore this question below.

Reposting this fine write-up by @kathrynwestmore.bsky.social and @jamiemaccoll.bsky.social on Operation Destablise. A compendium of national security threats, showing the clear links between organised crime, sanctions evasion and hostile state activity. Read👇 www.rusi.org/explore-our-...

Operation Destabilise: Russia, Organised Crime and Illicit Finance

A Russian-speaking money laundering network uncovered by the UK’s National Crime Agency shows the clear links between organised crime, sanctions evasion and hostile state activity.

rusi.org

New investigation from @occrp.org with research by @transparencyuk.bsky.social highlights the limits of current UK transparency reforms. Trusts are the new transparency frontier. Regs laid by gov earlier this month could help but, on first blush, have some issues. www.occrp.org/en/investiga...

Luxury London Properties Linked to Family of Azerbaijan's President Are Hidden Behind an Offshore Trust

The family and associates of Azerbaijani strongman Ilham Aliyev acquired U.K. real estate worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Are they still holding onto their property empire? Despite new transpar...

occrp.org

Want to come and work with me at the @cfs-rusi.bsky.social working on all things financial crime policy? We’re recruiting for a new research analyst/project officer. Details here! royalunitedservicesinstitute.peoplehr.net/Pages/JobBoa...

Research Analyst/Project Officer – Financial Crime Policy Programme

The Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) is the world’s oldest and the UK’s leading defence and security think tank. The Centre for Finance and Security (CFS) at RUSI is a specialist research group ...

royalunitedservicesinstitute.peoplehr.net

Statement in the Commons today by the Government, on tackling corruption at 3:30pm - one to watch this Anti-Corruption Day. We're expecting a few announcements

Everyone else: The best thing about Christmas is the goodwill and festive community cheer. Me, a criminal lawyer: I’ve embedded a location tracker in my Christmas wreath in case anyone tries to nick it.

I have just bought myself this and I couldn’t be happier with life right now. www.selfridges.com/GB/en/produc...

ANNA + NINA - Champagne Refill earthenware jug 17.5cm | Selfridges.com

selfridges.com

In the latest RUSI Commentary, @jamiemaccoll.bsky.social and @kathrynwestmore.bsky.social note that a Russian-speaking money laundering network uncovered by @nca-uk.bsky.social shows the clear links between organised crime, sanctions evasion and hostile state activity.

Operation Destabilise: Russia, Organised Crime and Illicit Finance

A Russian-speaking money laundering network uncovered by the UK’s National Crime Agency shows the clear links between organised crime, sanctions evasion and hostile state activity.

rusi.org

New: What does Operation Destabilise mean for the future of the UK’s response to illicit finance? Also, Tether is bad. @jamiemaccoll.bsky.social and I have shared our perspectives over on the @rusi.bsky.social website this afternoon. www.rusi.org/explore-our-...

Operation Destabilise: Russia, Organised Crime and Illicit Finance

A Russian-speaking money laundering network uncovered by the UK’s National Crime Agency shows the clear links between organised crime, sanctions evasion and hostile state activity.

rusi.org

Look at this line up! Very excited for this is treat in the new year - some of best in the business talking about #statethreats.

Matthew Redhead@matthewrr.bsky.social · 2y ago

My annual excursion is near. I have a paper coming on #statethreats, and I will be at @rusi.bsky.social on 14 January 2025 with @hamarquette.bsky.social, @rorycormac.bsky.social, @keatingetom.bsky.social and undisclosed special guests to talk about it. Please join us. my.rusi.org/events/tackl...

“I don’t think anyone could anticipate the size and complexity of this operation, the huge amounts of cash involved, and the number of different organized criminal gangs which used the services” — @kathrynwestmore.bsky.social

She Was a Russian Socialite and Influencer. Cops Say She’s a Crypto Laundering Kingpin

Western authorities say they’ve identified a network that found a new way to clean drug gangs’ dirty cash. WIRED gained exclusive access to the investigation.

wired.com

🚨Following the news that the @nca-uk.bsky.social has uncovered a multi-billion-dollar Russian money laundering network, RUSI's @kathrynwestmore.bsky.social provides her analysis below.

Kathryn Westmore@kathrynwestmore.bsky.social · 2y ago

The NCA have busted a multi-billion dollar money laundering network in the UK. The grouo facilitated the exchange of cash to crypto on a massive scale. The networks also funded state-linked activities including espionage and disinformation. www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/news/operati...

Operation Destabilise is the most stunning example yet of crypto's great use-case, which is to move value between countries outside any controls against money laundering. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Russian crypto criminals helped UK drug gangs launder lockdown cash

UK drug gangs paid Russian criminals to swap their dirty street cash for untraceable crypto currency, police say.

bbc.co.uk

The NCA have busted a multi-billion dollar money laundering network in the UK. The grouo facilitated the exchange of cash to crypto on a massive scale. The networks also funded state-linked activities including espionage and disinformation. www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/news/operati...

Operation Destabilise: NCA disrupts $multi-billion Russian money laundering networks with links to, drugs, ransomware and espionage, resulting in 84 arrests

An international NCA-led investigation - Operation Destabilise - has exposed and disrupted Russian money laundering networks supporting serious and organised crime around the world: spanning from the ...

nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk

Maybe it would be easier just to list the countries not having a war or political/constitutional crisis?

Wrote something quickly on the back of this thread Tldr: Britain's election laws are completely broken. Either we act fast to fix them or we are in serious, serious trouble democracyforsale.substack.com/p/musks-100m...

Musk’s $100m to Farage will break our democracy

Keir Starmer needs to fix Britain’s broken electoral laws now - if he doesn’t, we will all suffer the consequences

democracyforsale.substack.com

So, my husband and I both managed to forget that we were supposed to be going to birthday celebrations today for HIS 40th birthday.

My mother has spent quite a lot of today telling me that I’m wrong about 1) how crypto works and 2) how Gen AI can be used to commit fraud. She listened to something on Radio 4 this week and is now, clearly, the expert.

Back in my consulting day, I had a client who would always send me stroppy emails last thing on a Friday. Now I get - much more polite - emails last thing on a Friday from people who disagree with something I’ve written and want to tell me why I’m wrong.

Bulgarians plead guilty to involvement in Jan Marsalek spy ring Court hears that former Wirecard executive “was acting as the intermediary for the Russian Intelligence Services”. Directed them to spy on US air base, among other plots.

Bulgarians plead guilty to involvement in Jan Marsalek spy ring

[FREE TO READ] Two admit conspiracy to spy while three others deny the charge

on.ft.com

Excellent new research from our friends at @transparencyuk.bsky.social 👇🏻

Transparency International UK@transparencyuk.bsky.social · 2y ago

🆕 Transparency International UK analysis published by @financialtimes.com has found almost 500 U.K. properties worth £6bn bought using suspicious funds channelled through the British Overseas Territories. £5.5 billion of this is held by companies in the BVI. ⤵️ www.ft.com/content/7fcd...

I was at a conference yesteday where these proposals were discussed and, based on that, it’s fair to say that there will be some disappointment that the FCA has not capitulated completely on.ft.com/3Zsphbh

FCA to raise bar for when it ‘names and shames’ companies

Previous proposals from UK financial regulator triggered City backlash

on.ft.com

📅Join us on 10 December for the launch of a new research paper written by RUSI's Eliza Lockhart, supported by @soc-ace.bsky.social, on the impact of whistleblower reward programmes, and a panel discussion on the importance of boosting economic crime detection and deterrence.

The Role of Rewards for Whistleblowers in the Fight Against Economic Crime

Join us for a discussion on the impact of financial rewards for whistleblowers in the fight against economic crime.

my.rusi.org