Transparency will be key to managing Ukraine's reconstruction, both ensuring the efficient use of resources, and in maintaining the trust of the international community. CFCS Director Tom Keatinge joins Oleksii Dorohan, CEO of the Better Regulation Delivery Office–a Ukrainian think tank–to discuss why Ukraine must establish a strong anti-money laundering architecture, and to outline the goals of our joint project, which empowers Ukrainian civil society and journalists in this effort.

What stood out in 2022 for the team at the Centre for Financial Crime and Security Studies ? Tune in to the annual festive podcast episode with Tom Keatinge, Kinga Redlowska, Stephen Reimer, Kathryn Westmore and host Alanna Putze to hear their thoughts on the illicit finance stories and surprises from the year, as well as the team’s predictions for 2023.

Counterterrorist financing (CTF) efforts are a key part of tackling the emerging challenges at the nexus of finance and security. CFCS’s Project CRAAFT team take you behind the scenes of their three-year journey to build stronger, more coordinated CTF capacity across the EU and its neighbourhood. Kinga Redlowska is joined by Tom Keatinge and Stephen Reimer to discuss what they’ve learnt about the past, present and future of CTF.

The cryptocurrency industry in South Korea is a uniquely widespread phenomenon with incredibly high demand. The country’s strict capital controls and structural impediments create an arbitrage-type situation known as the ‘Kimchi Premium’. CFCS’s Allison Owen speaks with Dr John Park, director of the Korea Project at the Harvard Kennedy School's Belfer Center, about his forthcoming paper, which examines the risks related to South Korea’s distinct cryptocurrency ecosystem.

Cryptocurrencies offer ‘bad actors’ a new opportunity to manage and launder their gains. Policymakers, supervisors and law-enforcement agencies around the globe are gradually responding, and the private sector is developing solutions to help. But are the current efforts sufficient to tackle this growing challenge? Scott Chipolina of the Financial Times moderates a discussion with Aidan Larkin of the fintech start-up Asset Reality; David Carlisle of Elliptic, a blockchain analysis provider;...

North Korea uses an array of techniques to evade sanctions. The international focus is often on the country’s exploitation of technology, yet its embassies and missions also provide a valuable support network for sanctions-busting attempts. RUSI Associate Fellow Daniel Salisbury joins host Aaron Arnold to discuss his forthcoming paper on North Korean diplomats, which explores the various ways in which they facilitate sanctions evasion and procurement efforts.

Putting a stop to illicit finance matters for global security. The US and UK are well-positioned to lead this fight, but time is of the essence as dirty money continues to unravel democracy worldwide. CFCS’s Tom Keatinge and Maria Nizzero join host Alanna Putze to discuss RUSI’s latest policy brief, which was inspired by the Taskforce on a Transatlantic Response to Illicit Finance. Together they explore realistic ways that the two countries can strengthen global defences against this rising...

Fighting economic crime should not be a divisive political matter, but a unifying foe. As the UK prepares to embark on its second economic crime plan, this episode features a cross-party discussion showcasing economic crime as a consensus objective on which politicians of whatever stripe should align to drive change. CFCS’s Maria Nizzero is joined by Baroness Kramer of the Liberal Democrats, Conservative MP Kevin Hollinrake, Scottish National Party MP Alison Thewliss and Labour MP Pat McFadden.

Russia’s war in Ukraine illustrates the dangers that unchecked kleptocracy poses to democracy. Kleptocrats and corrupt actors strategically use their vast resources to advance their interests both at home and abroad. CFCS’s Isabella Chase, Adam Smith of Gibson, Dunn and Crutcher LLP, and journalist Oliver Bullough discuss this growing transnational threat, its severe repercussions for international security and human rights, and what democratic alliances can do to stop it. This discussion was...

How can the UK Financial Conduct Authority be more data-driven and innovative and apply risk-based supervision as it works with its regulated populations? RUSI Associate Fellow Dr Noémi També joins CFCS’s Kathryn Westmore to discuss her recent paper on Revolutionising Financial Supervision. Together, they identify the challenges that more technologically advanced institutions – such as FinTechs and challenger banks – face regarding supervision.

How do terrorists procure and protect their funds, and are the policies currently in place to counter this fit for purpose? RUSI Associate Fellow and terrorism expert Jessica Davis joins CFCS's Stephen Reimer for a discussion on her latest book, Illicit Money. They explore why new thinking is needed to tackle terrorist financing, including an understanding of the complex ways in which funds are raised, used, moved and stored.

Independent journalism and civil society are vibrant in the Balkans. Yet kleptocracy and corruption stifle the region’s progress and the prospects for individual EU accession. Leila Bičakčić, executive director of the Centre for Investigative Reporting (CIN) in Sarajevo, joins RUSI Europe’s Kinga Redlowska to discuss the multifaceted challenges of illicit finance in the Balkans, including the region’s complex history, the influence of Russia and China, and the implications for Europe and beyond.

Investigative journalist Geoff White discusses his new book The Lazarus Heist. It’s the story of how North Korea has harnessed cutting-edge technology to pursue a highly effective campaign of cyber-raids to fund its economy. This has included the exploitation of central banks, cryptocurrency exchanges, Hollywood film studios and the UK’s National Health Service. Geoff is joined by CFCS’s Tom Keatinge and Allison Owen to dive into the mechanics of this cybercriminal threat and its implications...

Kleptocracy is one of the foremost financial crimes of our time. The role of grassroots actors in holding governments and corrupt actors to account is vital, particularly when it comes to catching illicit funds before they disappear into the global financial system. Host Alanna Putze is joined by CFCS colleagues Tom Keatinge and Maria Sofia Reiser to discuss a project that aims to strengthen the capabilities of investigative journalists and civil society in ‘the first mile’ of financial crime.

Journalist and author Oliver Bullough delves into his latest book, Butler to the World, which reveals how Britain came to assume its role as the centre of the offshore economy. He joins CFCS’s Tom Keatinge and Helena Wood to discuss how so many elements of modern Britain have been put at the service of the world's oligarchs and kleptocrats with disastrous global consequences, what this means within the context of Russia’s war in Ukraine, and whether change is realistic.

What stood out for the Centre for Financial Crime and Security Studies team in 2021? Tune in to the annual festive podcast episode with Isabella Chase, Aaron Arnold, Stephen Reimer and Helena Wood to find out about the financial crime scandals and surprises of 2021 and hear the team’s predictions for the year ahead.

Criminals, malign actors and kleptocrats easily find homes in the UK and US for their ill-gotten gains thanks to professional enablers, who are an Achilles’ heel in the fight against illicit finance. CFCS’s Tom Keatinge ponders how to make a step-change in addressing this challenge. Joining him are Katie Benson of Manchester University, the German Marshall Fund’s Josh Rudolph, Moyara Ruehsen of the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism’s...

Is the existing counterterrorist financing regime useful for tackling the far-right threat? At the launch of RUSI’s Far-Right Extremism and Terrorism programme, CFCS’s Tom Keatinge is joined by RUSI’s Stephen Reimer, Bethan Johnson of the Centre for Analysis of the Radical Right, Jacob Davey of the Institute for Strategic Dialogue and Brenna Smith from The New York Times to discuss fundraising strategies of the far right, and how these compare to the financing of transnational jihadist groups.

The principle that ‘crime shouldn’t pay’ is enshrined in various anti-financial crime standards, yet only 2% of global criminal proceeds are frozen, and only 1% confiscated. With public finances increasingly strained, CFCS’s Helena Wood explores whether it is time to reconsider the role of private sector actors in the fight against criminal wealth with Katherine Mulhern of Restitution Impact, former detective Jonathan Benton of Intelligent Sanctuary and Aidan Larkin of Asset Reality.

The US and UK have intensified their focus on tackling money laundering, kleptocracy and corruption. Now, words need to translate into action. RUSI set up a Taskforce on a Transatlantic Response to Illicit Finance (TARIF) to provide urgent input into the policy debate. CFCS’s Tom Keatinge is joined by Taskforce members Moyara Ruehsen of the Middlebury Institute of International Studies and Lord Garnier QC to give the scoop on the first meeting and discuss why any solution must start at home.

In the final episode of our FATF series, Stephen Reimer looks at the future trajectory of abuse of FATF’s standards, with guests Anietie Ewang of Human Rights Watch, leading law firm Peters & Peters’ Michael O’Kane, Alyssa Yamamoto of the Mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights while Countering Terrorism, and Chapter Four Uganda’s Nicholas Opiyo.

How are FATF’s unintended consequences reverberating in the present day? In part two of our series, Isabella Chase speaks to Maha Bahou from Jordan Payments and Clearing Company, Revolut Poland’s Adam Anklewicz, and Cenfri’s Barry Cooper about FATF’s work on financial exclusion, and how the Task Force’s unintended consequences working group could help mitigate negative impacts of FATF’s framework on financial inclusion.

In this first episode of a three-part series, Tom Keatinge is joined by Lia van Broekhoven from Human Security Collective, IAMTN’s Veronica Studsgaard, Victoria Ibezim-Ohaeri of Spaces for Change, and Wendy Delmar from the Caribbean Association of Banks to assess FATF’s past, delving into the standard-setter’s efforts in relation to Non-Profit Organisations, Money Service Businesses, and correspondent banking.

In June 2020, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) urged countries to increase the use of financial investigations into illegal wildlife trade cases. A year on, in July 2021, it published a further analysis on mineral, waste and timber trafficking. In advance of the FATF’s upcoming October plenary, Tom Keatinge and Alexandria Reid take a deep dive into the thornier aspects of the FATF’s current approach to environmental crime.