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An AFP taskforce tackles attempts to clean up the proceeds of crime as part of global campaign.
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Anti-money laundering operation blocks $1.8m, arrests 21 mules
07 December 2022
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More than 100 money mules who launder dirty cash have been tracked down by police and 21 have been charged in an operation that prevented $1.8 million being lost to cyber criminals, the AFP says.
Taskforce Dolos, led by the AFP, had identified 117 money mules working in Australia and as well as the arrests there were 14 ongoing investigations, 15 interventions and warning letters sent to 52 individuals.
The AFP said a money mule was someone who transferred money, typically the proceeds of crime, for another individual, often for a commission.
The Australian taskforce was part of Europol’s eighth annual global anti-money mule operation, known as European Money Mule Action 8 (EMMA8).
During the global phase from mid-September to the end of November, police arrested 2,469 money mules, identified 222 recruiters and intercepted €17.5 million.
The operation was supported by 10 Australian banks plus online money transfer services and cryptocurrency exchanges.
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The AFP warned that some individuals were unwittingly recruited as money launderers and made to believe they are transferring cash for legitimate reasons.
Recruiters often asked for help transferring money while posing as an online friend or love interest, someone offering a way to make easy money or claiming to need help using their own bank account, it said.
AFP Commander Cybercrime Operations Chris Goldsmid said money muling was a complex, borderless crime.
“These mules are a significant part of the criminal business model which enables syndicates to move dirty money across a complex network of accounts, often branching into different countries,” Commander Goldsmid said.
“The AFP has extensive international networks and we frequently liaise with our law enforcement counterparts to identify and disrupt transnational money laundering syndicates.
“By concentrating our efforts with our law enforcement partners through EMMA8, we have been able to achieve incredible outcomes on both a domestic and international scale.”
The AFP said Operation Dolos was a multi-agency taskforce formed to combat business email compromise and associated frauds. The taskforce involved all state and territory policing agencies, the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, Australian Cyber Security Centre, AUSTRAC, the Australian financial sector and international law enforcement agencies.
To raise awareness about this crime and its implications, Europol, together with the AFP and other international partners and financial institutions have launched the #DontBeAMule campaign.
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