Financial crime observers disagree on exactly where the estimated $30m taken as ransom payments by Somali pirates has gone. Some have been quoted as claiming that the pirate leaders are using their ill-gotten gains inside Somalia, and spending it all there, where governmental influence and control is non-existent but  still others claim that some of the funds are being laundered through Kenya. This is important to anyone in compliance operating a risk-based AML programme. Where is the money going?

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