FROM A
DIFFERENT ANGLE by Kenneth Rijock
Financial Crime Consultant, for World-Check
Alert on potential money laundering in Kosovo
18 February 2008

The long-anticipated, unilateral declaration of independence by the breakaway Serbian province of Kosovo, whilst a textbook example of a peoples' right to self-determination, may unfortunately result in increased ethnic violence and unrest involving the Serb minority. For EU money laundering reporting officers and compliance officers, vigilance is in order with respect to the possibility that financial criminals in the area may seek to take advantage of the chaos to practise their dark professions. Money launderers in particular may target the new opportunities that are presented. Watch for this.

Please do not forget that there is substantial narcotics trafficking in Albania and Kosovo, and the organisations involved have money movement issues. Please see that your compliance staff are alert to any new money movement post-independence, especially:

  • Charitable funds. Does the charity have a long and reputable track record?
  • UN or EU funds that appear to be non-transparent with respect to both origin and destination. Remember, if it looks like a UN or EU payment, it might be a cleverly-disguised criminal transaction, " skim milk masquerading as cream." 
  • Funds from an NGO that you do not know from prior dealings in the region.
  • Money that purports to be originally for emergency or humanitarian purposes, but is being returned to its sender or contributor, post-independence.

Also, money laundering operators in Eastern Europe most certainly have been looking at Kosovo for some time, waiting for targets of opportunity. Watch for any unusual activity, irrespective of the alleged source.

The facts and opinions stated in this article are those of the author and not those of World-Check. World-Check does not warrant the accuracy of any facts and opinions stated in this article, does not endorse them, and accepts no responsibility for them.

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