FATF-洗钱与非法野生动植物贸易（英文）-2020.7-72页_2mb

Summary of FATF Report: Money Laundering and the Illegal Wildlife Trade

Core Content

The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has released a report titled Money Laundering and the Illegal Wildlife Trade in June 2020. This report is the first global analysis by the FATF on the financial aspects of the illegal wildlife trade (IWT), highlighting the role of money laundering in facilitating this transnational crime and proposing actions to combat it effectively.

Main Points

1. Illegal Wildlife Trade (IWT) as a Transnational Crime

• IWT is a major transnational organized crime that generates billions of dollars annually.
• It fuels corruption, threatens biodiversity, and has significant negative impacts on public health and the economy.
• Proceeds from IWT are often laundered through the financial system, exploiting weaknesses in both financial and non-financial sectors.

2. FATF's Role and Concerns

• The FATF, as the global standard setter for AML, CFT, and CPF, is concerned about the lack of focus on the financial aspects of IWT.
• The report aims to help jurisdictions apply the FATF 40 Recommendations to combat IWT-related money laundering.

3. Key Findings

• Jurisdictions rarely investigate the financial trail of IWT, despite its global impact.
• Criminals misuse legitimate wildlife trade and other import-export businesses to conceal illegal proceeds.
• IWT is often linked to other serious crimes such as drug trafficking and illegal logging.
• The use of online marketplaces and mobile/social media payments is increasing the ease of laundering IWT proceeds.
• Financial investigations are crucial for identifying and dismantling IWT networks, and asset recovery is an important tool in this process.

4. Good Practices for Jurisdictions

• Prioritize financial investigations into IWT in proportion to risk.
• Provide law enforcement and other agencies with the necessary mandate and tools for financial investigations.
• Improve coordination between wildlife crime authorities and financial institutions.
• Engage in international cooperation and public-private partnerships to combat IWT and its financial implications.

Key Information

1. Scale of IWT Proceeds

• The global scale of IWT is difficult to estimate accurately.
• Estimated annual proceeds range between USD 7 to 23 billion, or about one quarter of the legal wildlife trade.
• Many cases involve proceeds of several million USD.

2. Laundering Techniques

• Criminals use money mules, front companies, and complex financial structures to launder IWT proceeds.
• They often exploit corruption, fraud, and tax evasion to move and hide illicit funds.

3. Role of New Technologies

• Online marketplaces and mobile/social media payments are increasingly used to facilitate the movement of IWT proceeds.
• These technologies present new challenges and require updated monitoring and enforcement strategies.

4. International and Public-Private Collaboration

• The report emphasizes the need for international cooperation and public-private partnerships to combat IWT.
• It outlines the importance of financial intelligence units (FIUs) and mutual legal assistance (MLA) in this effort.
• Collaboration with the private sector is vital for detecting suspicious activity and sharing risk indicators.

Proposed Actions

1. National and International Measures

• Jurisdictions should improve their legal frameworks and institutional capacity to address IWT-related money laundering.
• Strengthen customer due diligence (CDD) and financial investigations.
• Enhance multi-agency coordination and international cooperation.

2. Asset Recovery and Financial Investigations

• Conduct parallel financial investigations alongside wildlife crime investigations.
• Implement asset recovery mechanisms to disrupt IWT networks.
• Use specific risk indicators to identify and track financial flows from IWT.

3. Public-Private Partnerships

• Encourage public-private collaboration to detect and report suspicious activity.
• Develop private-private information sharing mechanisms to support financial investigations.

Annexes and References

• Annex A provides indicators of laundering IWT proceeds, useful for both public authorities and the private sector.
• Annex B includes examples of financial investigations into wildlife crimes.
• The report references CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, and outlines the legal framework for IWT.
• It also cites research by the OECD, UNODC, and other organizations on IWT and its financial implications.

Conclusion

The FATF report underscores the global threat posed by IWT and the critical role of financial investigations in combating it. It calls for greater focus on the financial side of IWT, enhanced coordination, and international cooperation to effectively address this complex crime. The report also highlights the importance of public-private collaboration and the need for improved understanding of IWT financial flows and asset recovery mechanisms.

Key Terms