Inside the Cartels and Chinese Money Laundering Networks Driving Criminal Economies

Report

Inside the Cartels and Chinese Money Laundering Networks Driving Criminal Economies

Thank you for your interest in our report!

Cartels and their criminal financing continue to evolve, using professional networks to launder the proceeds from narcotics trafficking, human trafficking, environmental crime, fuel theft and oil smuggling, corruption at ports and “taxation” of local economies.

Download our latest report for an assessment of money laundering methodologies and red flags – and the actionable steps financial institutions can take.

Key Topic Covered

The Cartels
Cartel Revenue Sources
Money Laundering Methodologies
Focus Areas: Mirror Transfers, Crypto, Casinos, Daigou, Students as Money Mules
Use of Illicit Funds
Actions for Financial Institutions

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Explore this month’s Sanctions and Export Controls Update, highlighting IFI’s take on key developments from May 2026.

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This article examines what FATF listings mean in practice and draws out the lessons learned from jurisdictions that have successfully exited the Grey List, using the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as a case study.

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Explore this month’s Sanctions and Export Controls Update, highlighting IFI’s take on key developments from March 2026.

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March 31, 2026

In the Netflix show The Night Agent, a suspicious financial trail quickly escalates into a national security investigation. While dramatized, the premise is real. This article explores how transaction monitoring detects these signals and why financial institutions play a critical role in identifying and escalating suspicious activity.

Inside the Cartels and Chinese Money Laundering Networks Driving Criminal Economies

Thank you for your interest in our report!

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