In a recent announcement, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) underscored the significance of making asset recovery a central element in every nation's strategy to combat money laundering and terrorist financing. The international organization expressed concern over the inadequate retrieval of criminal proceeds on a global scale, allowing criminals to enjoy their ill-gotten gains, perpetuate unlawful activities, and disrupt the legitimate economy.
“Globally, countries are only recovering a dismal fraction of the assets generated by criminal activity. This leaves criminals free to enjoy their ill-gotten gains, fuels further criminal activity and distorts the legitimate economy,” the organization said.
Delegates, in what has been hailed as a major milestone, have collectively endorsed a series of substantial amendments to the FATF Recommendations. These amendments are designed to equip countries with more potent tools to deprive criminals of the proceeds of their unlawful activities, a top priority for FATF during its Singapore Presidency.
"To improve asset recovery efforts, FATF has released a report that sets out recommendations to strengthen the roles and use of asset recovery networks (ARINs) in pursuing transnational money laundering cases."
Moreover, FATF has adopted reports addressing the issues of Illicit Financial Flows from Cyber-Enabled Fraud and the Misuse of Citizenship and Residency by Investment Programs. Notably, the organization has introduced new provisions, including the authority to suspend transactions associated with money laundering, terrorist financing, and serious crimes. This development empowers national authorities to expedite the confiscation of criminal assets, thereby increasing the prospects of successful recovery for victims.
“The revised Standards are a major milestone that will help bring about the necessary cultural shift to ensure that asset recovery becomes a core component of an effective crime prevention and mitigation strategy,” the body claimed.
“The organization said it agreed new features, such as the power to suspend transactions related to money laundering, terrorist financing and serious crime. This will allow relevant national authorities to secure criminal assets more swiftly, increasing the chances of successful confiscation and potential recovery for victims,” it said.
It is now up to each country to effectively implement these revised requirements in their national frameworks and use these tools to deprive criminals of their illicit assets and contribute to a safer society," it added.
By fLEXI tEAM
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