Mobilizing Anti-Money Laundering regimes to Combat Wildlife Crime

Marilyne Pereira Goncalves, World Bank

Key Messages

• Wildlife trafficking is a crime for profit

• Wildlife trafficking is a serious transnational crime

• Effective enforcement needs to go beyond what is happening

in the forest

Poaching Transport Export/Import Sale

Adding to the ToolkitMobilizing the Criminal Justice System and the “Follow the

Money Trail” Approach

• “Follow the money trail” approach as an additional tool included in the UN Convention on Transnational Organized Crime, the UN Convention Against Corruption and the FAFT International Standards

• Allows to trace, locate, freeze and ultimately confiscate assets that are the proceeds of crime – Environmental crimes are predicate offences to money laundering

• Focuses on the dismantlement of criminal networks (big fish vs. small fish) and contributes to fight corruption

4

Money is Information

Money is Intelligence

Money is Evidence

Adding to the ToolkitThe 3 Functions of Money

• Anti-money laundering regimes:

detecting criminal activities by following the money;

using financial intelligence by enforcing due diligence measures on financial institutions and other intermediaries;

Prosecuting a wide range of individuals involved in crime, including those engaged in disguising the illicit origin of criminal assets

Developing an Integrated Criminal Justice Strategy for Wildlife Trafficking

Integrate criminal justice as part of the strategy to combat

environmental crimes

Adopt integrated criminal justice strategy: Focus on follow the money,

the “master minds” and corrupt officials

Improve domestic cooperation at both policy and operational level

Enlist the private sector and engage civil society actors

Mobilize international cooperation mechanisms

Conclusions

• Ensure that wildlife related offenses are predicate offenses to ML

• Work with financial intelligence units and financial regulators to better understand the financial flows related to wildlife trafficking (i.e. redflags, guidelines to the financial sector)

• Provide adequate training to the law enforcement community and include “follow the money trail” approach in development assistance strategies targeting wildlife law enforcement

• Reach out to the FATF and regional AML bodies to build political momentum and improve regional and international cooperation

Thank you

mgoncalves2@worldbank.org

www.worldbank.org/amlcft