An ever-lengthening list of Low Priority governments include several which were of no concern as recently as two years ago. Moreover, criminal organizations have distinct patterns of operation which vary from one part of the globe to the next. In its 1997 public report on typologies, the FATF noted that organized crime continues to be responsible for a large proportion of the illegal funds entering financial systems. FATF also cited a trend in some countries where criminals who were once only engaged in drug trafficking were either broadening their activities to include other proceeds-generating criminal activities or had switched to other financial crimes carrying lower penalties. That scenario changes by regions and by countries within regions.
Scandinavian experts believe their greater problem is financial crime.
Meanwhile, an increasing number of drug traffickers do not directly manage the laundering or conversion of their proceeds, but rely predominantly on professional money brokers. Such brokers are increasingly crafting effective schemes to evade normal monitoring, detection and reporting devices. We are seeing a proliferation of financial crimes, not limited to drug money laundering. In just the last six months, we have detected a number of offers involving such schemes in this hemisphere. However, some of the more flagrant examples are occurring in Asia.