AML ENFORCEMENT IS STARTING TO BITE IN THE UK
12/02/2021
On 7 January 2021, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) published the latest list of businesses handed fines for breaching strict regulations aimed at preventing criminals from laundering illicit cash.
The list includes money transfer company MT Global Limited, which has been handed the largest ever fine [£23.8m) issued by HMRC:
The fine was for significant breaches of the regulations between July 2017 and December 2019 relating to:
- Risk assessments and associated record-keeping
- Policies, controls and procedures
- Fundamental customer due diligence measures
In 2019 to 2020 HMRC
- Completed 2,000 interventions on supervised businesses, issued penalties totalling £9.1 million and stopped 89 non-compliant businesses and individuals from trading.
- Recouped over £166 million from the proceeds of crime, of which more than £22 million was linked to money laundering offences – sending an unequivocal message that crime doesn’t pay.
In 2020
- HMRC announced a £7.8 million fine against a London MSB that ignored anti-money laundering regulations. HMRC, Metropolitan Police (MPS)
- West London money transmitter Touma Foreign Exchange Ltd ignored anti-money laundering regulations and received a £7.8 million penalty.
- https://www.gov.uk/government/news/money-sender-fined-record-78-million-in-money-laundering-crackdown#:~:text=West%20London%20money%20transmitter%20Touma,those%20that%20break%20the%20rules
- the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) also carried out a month-long crackdown in July 2019 on MSBs at risk of being used for money laundering to fund organised crime.
Nick Sharp, Deputy Director of Economic Crime, Fraud Investigation Service, HMRC, said:
- Businesses who fail to comply with the money laundering regulations leave themselves, and the UK economy, open to attacks by criminals.
- Money laundering is not a victimless crime.
- Criminals use laundered cash to fund serious organised crime, from drug importation to child sexual exploitation, human trafficking and even terrorism.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/hmrc-issues-record-238m-fine-for-money-laundering-breaches
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As well as owning and publishing Comsure's copyrighted works, Comsure wishes to use the copyright-protected works of others. To do so, Comsure is applying for exemptions in the UK copyright law. There are certain very specific situations where Comsure is permitted to do so without seeking permission from the owner. These exemptions are in the copyright sections of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 (as amended)[www.gov.UK/government/publications/copyright-acts-and-related-laws]. Many situations allow for Comsure to apply for exemptions. These include 1] Non-commercial research and private study, 2] Criticism, review and reporting of current events, 3] the copying of works in any medium as long as the use is to illustrate a point. 4] no posting is for commercial purposes [payment]. (for a full list of exemptions, please read here www.gov.uk/guidance/exceptions-to-copyright]. Concerning the exceptions, Comsure will acknowledge the work of the source author by providing a link to the source material. Comsure claims no ownership of non-Comsure content. The non-Comsure articles posted on the Comsure website are deemed important, relevant, and newsworthy to a Comsure audience (e.g. regulated financial services and professional firms [DNFSBs]). Comsure does not wish to take any credit for the publication, and the publication can be read in full in its original form if you click the articles link that always accompanies the news item. Also, Comsure does not seek any payment for highlighting these important articles. If you want any article removed, Comsure will automatically do so on a reasonable request if you email info@comsuregroup.com.