Criminal Facilitators Thrive as Crime-as-a-Service Market Grows
In recent years, a new trend has emerged in the world of organized crime: criminals are increasingly relying on facilitators to help them carry out their illegal activities. These facilitators offer a range of services, including advice on company registration and financial transactions, fake identities, and shell companies.
The Growing Market for Criminal Services
The market for these criminal services has grown significantly over the past few years, as criminals seek to evade detection by law enforcement agencies. Facilitators are found in all types of crime, including money laundering, and often work with the support of a legitimate business or company.
Expert Insights
“The most qualified facilitators are those who have a deep understanding of the formal requirements imposed on registering and running companies,” said one expert. “They can help criminal operators set up shell companies and frontmen to launder money and evade taxes.”
Vulnerabilities in Sweden’s Anti-Money Laundering Regime
Sweden’s anti-money laundering regime is vulnerable to several weaknesses, including:
- Lack of adequate identity verification: Government agencies and other actors often rely on the checks carried out by the actor issuing identification documents, such as ID cards or coordination numbers. However, this assumption can be flawed, as criminals can use false documents to facilitate money laundering and other criminal schemes.
- Unverified information in company registers: The Swedish Companies Registration Office does not have the ability to verify the quality of the information in its registers, which represents a vulnerability that can be exploited by criminals.
The Importance of Reporting
The Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) has also identified uneven reporting as a major vulnerability. While some business operators report suspected money laundering and terrorist financing, many others do not. In 2018, only 356 out of thousands of actors with reporting obligations submitted reports to the FIU.
“This lack of reporting is a major concern,” said one official. “It makes it harder for us to track suspicious transactions and combat money laundering.”
Efforts to Improve Anti-Money Laundering Efforts
The authorities are working to address these vulnerabilities and improve their anti-money laundering efforts. However, more needs to be done to prevent criminal facilitators from exploiting weaknesses in the system.