Criminals use various methods for money laundering. Especially shell companies and companies set up by straw owners are popular. These arrangements are often set up by intermediaries, leaving the real instigators out of sight. Reports of unusual transactions help us trace illegal financial structures.

Analysis by FIU-the Netherlands has shown that large, well-known companies in labour-intensive sectors such as construction and parcel delivery place work orders with (sub)contractors and pay them in cash. At these subcontractors, however, no or hardly any wage payments via wire transfer take place; employees are paid in cash.

Legal entities and real estate. Both can be used by criminals to launder their illicit assets. This case also involved financing from abroad, which can also be a way to conceal the origin of money.

In the aftermath of the unjustified invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation (Russia), the financial intelligence units[1] of the Netherlands (FIU-NL) and Canada (FINTRAC) received reports from a variety of sources describing the suspected illegal export, or attempted export, of dual-use goods to Russian end-users in violation of current sanctions or export control-related legislation.

We can’t emphasize enough how valuable the reported unusual transactions (UTRs) reported by obliged entities are.