Source: 2007
Released by the Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs
Australia is a committed partner in international efforts to combat illicit drugs, and gives high priority to drug-related issues, both internationally and domestically. Australia manages the diverse legal, health, social and economic consequences of drug use through comprehensive and consistent policies of demand and supply reduction and circumscribed harm reduction initiatives. Australia is party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention.
Australia is primarily a consumer nation for illicit narcotics; however, clandestine laboratories producing methamphetamine and MDMA (Ecstasy) continue to be seized throughout the country. Although, these laboratories are increasing in number and sophistication, it appears that the narcotics produced at these sites are consumed domestically and there is no evidence indicating that narcotics destined for the U.S. are produced in Australia or transit Australia. While domestically produced marijuana remains the most abused drug in Australia, the use of methamphetamine, primarily crystal methamphetamine (crystal meth), and MDMA (Ecstasy) continues to rise. The 2006 UN World Drug Report indicates that Australia has one of the highest rates of MDMA and methamphetamine abuse in the world. Arrests for possession of crystal meth in Australia have risen over 250 percent in the last ten years. Law enforcement and health officials have expressed concern about the dramatic increase in the abuse of crystal meth throughout Australia. In addition to the increased use of crystal meth, cocaine use also appears to be increasing throughout Australia in recent years. The use of cocaine, which previously had been limited to more affluent individuals, appears to be spreading into all segments of society. The use of heroin in Australia has declined significantly since the late 1990's and 2000, but law enforcement and health officials continue to aggressively target heroin traffickers and work to address the issues surrounding the abuse of heroin.
Policy Initiatives. The Australian Government continues to vigorously pursue polices that attempt to both prevent and treat illegal drug use. Launched in 1997, Prime Minister Howard's National Illicit Drug Strategy outlines a program to address drug issues. Australia has committed more than US$750 million (AU$1 billion) to the Strategy. (NOTE: Throughout this report, figures are in U.S. dollars, calculated at an exchange rate of A$1 equals U.S. $0.75)
Since 2002, following the Australian Government's creation of the Australian Crime Commission, state and federal investigators have increased their cooperation, bolstered their enforcement responses to serious crimes such as drug trafficking, and improved prosecution at the appropriate state or federal level. The Australian government committed an additional $187.4 million in 2003 to its program to reduce the supply of, and demand for, illicit drugs. The government is supporting private industry's attempt to develop a pseudoephedrine product that cannot be used as a precursor chemical for methamphetamine. There is an ongoing campaign to prevent illegal sales of pseudoephedrine in Australia. In August 2005, the Australian Minister of Justice announced the implementation of the National Strategy to Prevent Diversion of Precursor Chemicals. On January 1, 2006 as part of this strategy, legislation tightening the access to pseudoephedrine on a national level went into effect. The Australian government has committed $4.1 million to prevent the diversion of legitimate chemicals like pseudoephedrine into the manufacture of illicit drugs. There is also an on-going initiative involving state jurisdictions to establish a computer system to permit the pharmacists around the country to track the purchases of pseudoephedrine products.
The Australian government continues to implement extensive multi-faceted programs to combat drug trafficking and use in Australia. Throughout 2006, Australian law enforcement officials continued to seize large amounts of MDMA, crystal meth and cocaine smuggled into Australia. These seizures are consistent with the reported increased use of these drugs throughout the country. Law enforcement officials continue to report increases in the seizures of clandestine laboratories producing methamphetamine and MDMA. Many of these laboratories are more sophisticated and have greater production capacity than the laboratories seized in the past. In order to circumvent Australian governmental efforts to control the availability of the precursor chemical pseudoephedrine, criminal organizations continue to attempt bulk importations of the chemical into Australia. In June 2006, a multi-agency investigation involving law enforcement agencies from Australia and Indonesia led to the dismantlement of a syndicate that had allegedly smuggled more than 380 kg of pseudoephedrine into Australia. In 2006, Australian law enforcement officials made three significant seizures of illicit narcotics smuggled into the country from Canada. These seizures included approximately 46 kg of crystal meth secreted in the hull of a boat, approximately 350 kg of MDMA secreted in barrels containing ink toner and approximately 135 kg of cocaine and 33 kg of MDMA secreted within computer monitors.
Law Enforcement Efforts. Australian law enforcement agencies continued their aggressive counternarcotics and anti-money laundering efforts in 2006. Responsibility for these activities is divided primarily between the Australian Federal Police (AFP), the Australian Customs Service (ACS), the Australian Crime Commission (ACC) and the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), along with state/territorial police services throughout the country. In 2006, the AFP received funding to increase its, international deployment group from 570 to over 1000 individuals. Some of these individuals will be used to increase the AFP Overseas Liaison Network in order to better focus on transnational crime, including drug trafficking, terrorist activities and immigrant smuggling. The AFP currently maintains more than 86 officers in 26 countries to assist in narcotics investigation. AFP Liaison Officers, particularly those in the Pacific Islands and throughout Asia, also assist local law enforcement agencies in training and institution building. The AFP and other Australian law enforcement agencies continue to have close working relationships with U.S. agencies including the DEA, the FBI and BICE.
Corruption. The Australian Government and state/territorial governments remain vigilant in their efforts to prevent narcotics-related corruption. There is no indication of any senior official of the government facilitating the production or distribution of illicit drugs or aiding in the laundering of proceeds from such activities. Although some state police officers have been investigated and convicted for drug-related corruption, including several members of the Victoria Police Drug Squad, corruption is not common or widespread.
Agreements and Treaties. The U.S. and Australia cooperate extensively in law enforcement matters, including drug prevention and prosecution, under a bilateral mutual legal assistance treaty and an extradition treaty. The USG has a Customs Mutual Assistance Agreement (CMAA) with Australia. Australia is a party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention, the 1971 UN Convention on Psychotropic Substances, and the 1961 UN Single Convention as amended by its 1972 Protocol. Australia is a party to the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its protocols against migrant smuggling and trafficking in persons. Australia also is a party to the UN Corruption Convention.
Cultivation/Production. Cannabis is the only significant illicit drug cultivated in Australia. The use of hydroponics growth sites has been increasing throughout the country in recent years with well-organized syndicates operating multiple growth sites. The cannabis grown in Australia is primarily destined for the domestic market and there is no evidence that Australian marijuana reaches the U.S. in any significant quantity. Australia has a well-established and controlled licit opium crop (13,000 hectares) on Tasmania. Although recent significant seizures of foreign produced methamphetamine have revealed a change in trafficking patterns, a large amount of the amphetamine and methamphetamine consumed in Australia is produced in domestic clandestine laboratories. As previously mentioned, many of these laboratories are more sophisticated and possess greater production capacity than laboratories seized in the past.
Drug Flow/Transit. Asian organized crime groups continue to be the primary suppliers of heroin into Australia, and also are heavily involved in the trafficking of crystal meth into Australia. This is consistent with regional trends in which many drug trafficking organizations are moving away from crop-based drugs, such as heroin, into the large-scale production and distribution of synthetic drugs, such as MDMA and crystal meth. MDMA consumed in Australia is primarily produced in Europe, but there have been significant seizures, which originated in Asia and Canada. It should be noted that many of the clandestine laboratories producing MDMA seized in Australia are very sophisticated and possess the capacity for large-scale production of MDMA. South American cocaine trafficking organizations continue to target Australia utilizing a variety of means to smuggle cocaine into the country - from personal couriers to cocaine secreted within legitimate cargo shipments. African based trafficking organizations are also involved in the smuggling of cocaine into Australia. Couriers attempting to smuggle cocaine, heroin, MDMA and crystal meth into Australia are intercepted at the international airports on a regular basis.
Domestic Programs. The Federal Government has continued to pursue an aggressive policy to prevent and treat drug use. The Prime Minister's National Illicit Drug Campaign committed the equivalent of $4 million to drug prevention programs in schools and $40 million for compulsory education and a treatment system for drug offenders. Under Australian law, the federal government has responsibility for national health and crime issues, while the states and territories have responsibility for the delivery of health and welfare services. The Ministerial Council on Drug Strategy brings together federal, state and territory ministers responsible for health and law enforcement to determine national policies and programs to reduce the harm caused by drugs in Australia. Although the Federal Government opposes supervised heroin injecting rooms, the legal authority to provide injecting rooms rests with the health and law enforcement agencies in the states and territories. In May 2001, the State of New South Wales passed legislation to permit the licensing and operation of an injecting center, which provides for medically supervised heroin injections, for a trial period of 18 months. This trial period has been extended to October 2007. The Australian Capital Territory has passed similar legislation but has not opened an injection center.
U.S. Policy Initiatives. U.S. counternarcotics activities in Australia feature strong ongoing U.S.-Australian collaboration in investigating, disrupting, and dismantling international illicit drug trafficking organizations. The U.S. and Australia have a Memorandum of Understanding in place, which outlines these objectives. U.S. and Australian law enforcement agencies, also, have agreements in place concerning the conduct of bilateral investigations and the open exchange of intelligence information concerning narcotics trafficking organizations.
The Road Ahead. Australia shows no sign of lessening its commitment to the international fight against drug trafficking. Australian counternarcotics efforts throughout Asia and the Pacific Islands continue to be extremely robust. The U.S. can expect continuing strong bilateral relations with Australia on counternarcotics issues. The two countries will continue to work closely in support of the UN Drug and Crime Program and other multi-lateral fora.
AustraliaAustralia is one of the major centers for capital markets in the Asia-Pacific region. Annual turnover across Australia's over-the-counter and exchange-traded financial markets was AUD82 trillion (approximately $61.50 trillion) in 2005. Australia's total stock market capitalization is over AUD1.2 trillion (approximately $905 billon), making it the eighth largest market in the world, and the third largest in the Asia-Pacific region behind Japan and Hong Kong. Australia's foreign exchange market is ranked seventh in the world by turnover, with the U.S. dollar and the Australian dollar the fourth most actively traded currency pair globally. While narcotics offences provide a substantial source of proceeds of crime, the majority of illegal proceeds are derived from fraud-related offences. One Australian Government estimate suggested that the amount of money laundered in Australia ranges between AUD2-3 billion (approximately $1.5-$2.25 billion) per year.
The Government of Australia (GOA) has maintained a comprehensive system to detect, prevent, and prosecute money laundering. The last four years have seen a noticeable increase in activities investigated by Australian law enforcement agencies that relate directly to offenses committed overseas. Australia's system has evolved over time to address new money laundering and terrorist financing risks identified through continuous consultation between government agencies and the private sector.
In March 2005, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) conducted its on-site Mutual Evaluation (FATFME) of Australia's anti-money laundering/counterterrorism financing (AML/CTF) system.
Australia is one of the first member countries to be evaluated under FATF's revised recommendations.
The FATF's findings from the mutual evaluation of Australia were published in October 2005 and Australia was found to be compliant or largely complaint with just over half of the FATF Recommendations. The FATFME noted that although Australia "has a comprehensive money laundering offense... the low number of prosecutions ...indicates...that the regime is not being effectively implemented."
In response, the GOA has committed to reforming Australia's AML/CTF system to implement the revised FATF Forty plus Nine recommendations. The Attorney General's Department (AGD) is coordinating this process, now underway, which is expected to significantly reshape Australia's current AML/CTF regime in line with current international best practices.
Australia criminalized money laundering related to serious crimes with the enactment of the Proceeds of Crime Act 1987. This legislation also contained provisions to assist investigations and prosecution in the form of production orders, search warrants, and monitoring orders. It was superseded by two acts that came into force on January 1, 2003 (although proceedings that began prior to that date under the 1987 law will continue under that law). The Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 provides for civil forfeiture of proceeds of crime as well as for continuing and strengthening the existing conviction- based forfeiture scheme that was in the Proceeds of Crime Act 1987. The Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 also enables freezing and confiscation of property used in, intended to be used in, or derived from, terrorism offenses. It is intended to implement obligations under the UN International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism and resolutions of the UN Security Council relevant to the seizure of terrorism-related property. The Act also provides for forfeiture of literary proceeds where these have been derived from commercial exploitation of notoriety gained from committing a criminal offense.
The Proceeds of Crime (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provisions) Act 2002 (POCA 2002), repealed the money laundering offenses that had previously been in the Proceeds of Crime Act 1987 and replaced them with updated offenses that have been inserted into the Criminal Code. The new offenses are graded according both to the level of knowledge required of the offender and the value of the property involved in the activity constituting the laundering. As a matter of policy all very serious offenses are now gradually being placed in the Criminal Code. POCA 2002 also enables the prosecutor to apply for the restraint and forfeiture of property from proceeds of crime. POCA 2002 further creates a national confiscated assets account from which, among other things, various law enforcement and crime prevention programs may be funded. Recovered proceeds can be transferred to other governments through equitable sharing arrangements.
Underneath the framework of offenses, the Financial Transaction Reports Act (FTR Act) of 1988 was enacted to combat tax evasion, money laundering, and serious crimes. The FTR Act requires banks and nonbanking financial entities (collectively referred to as cash dealers) to verify the identities of all account holders and signatories to accounts, and to retain the identification record, or a copy of it, for seven years after the day on which the relevant account is closed. A cash dealer, or an officer, employee, or agent of a cash dealer, is protected against any action, suit, or proceeding in relation to the reporting process. The FTR Act also establishes reporting requirements for Australia's financial services sector. Required to be reported are: suspicious transactions, cash transactions equal to or in excess of AUD10,000 (approximately $7,500), and all international funds transfers into or out of Australia, regardless of value. The FTR Act also obliges any person causing an international movement of currency of Australian AUD10,000 (or a foreign currency equivalent) or more, into or out of Australia, either in person, as a passenger, by post or courier to make a report of that transfer.
FTR Act reporting also applies to nonbank financial institutions such as money exchangers, money remitters, stockbrokers, casinos and other gambling institutions, bookmakers, insurance companies, insurance intermediaries, finance companies, finance intermediaries, trustees or managers of unit trusts; issuers, sellers, and redeemers of travelers checks, bullion sellers, and other financial services licensees. Solicitors (lawyers) also are required to report significant cash transactions. Accountants do not have any FTR Act obligations. However, they do have an obligation under a self-regulatory industry standard not to be involved in money laundering transactions.
The FTR Act established the Australian Transaction Reports Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC), Australia's financial intelligence unit (FIU). AUSTRAC collects, retains, compiles, analyzes, and disseminates FTR information. AUSTRAC is Australia's AML/CTF regulator. AUSTRAC also provides advice and assistance to revenue collection, social justice, national security, and law enforcement agencies, and issues guidelines to cash dealers regarding their obligations under the FTR Act and regulations. As such, AUSTRAC plays a central role in Australia's AML system both domestically and internationally. During the 2005-06 Australian financial year, AUSTRAC's FTR information was used in 1,582 operational matters. Of these, in 431 matters FTR information was identified as being very valuable to outcomes. Results from the Australian Taxation Office shows that the FTR information contributed to more than AUD90.7 million (approximately $68 million) in Australian Taxation Office assessments during the year. In 2005-06, AUSTRAC received 13,880,944 financial transaction reports, with 99.6 percent of the reports submitted electronically through the EDDS Web system. AUSTRAC received 24,801 suspect transaction reports (SUSTRs), an increase of 44.1 percent from the precious year.
In 2006, there was a significant increase in the total number of financial transaction reports received by AUSTRAC. Significant cash transactions reports (SCTRs) account for 17 percent of the total number of FTRs reported to AUSTRAC in the 2005-06 Australian financial year and are reported by cash dealers and solicitors. In 2005-06, AUSTRAC received 2,416,427 SCTRs, an increase of 5.6 percent from the previous year. Cash dealers are required to report all international funds transfer instructions (IFTIs) to AUSTRAC. Cash dealers reported 11,411,961 IFTIs to AUSTRAC-a 11.4 percent increase from 2005. International currency transfer reports (ICTR) are primarily declared to the Australian Customs Service by individuals when they enter or depart from Australia. AUSTRAC received 27,755 ICTRs--a 6.0 percent increase from the previous year. In April 2005, the Minister for Justice and Customs launched AUSTRAC's AML eLearning application. This application has been well received by cash dealers as a tool in providing basic education on the process of money laundering, the financing of terrorism, and the role of AUSTRAC in identifying and assisting investigations of these crimes APRA is the prudential supervisor of Australia's financial services sector. AUSTRAC regulates anti- money laundering/counterterrorist financing (AML/CTF) compliance. AUSTRAC's powers include criminal but not administrative sanctions for noncompliance. AUSTRAC has conducted very few compliance audits in recent years and places a great deal of emphasis on educating and continuously engaging the private sector regarding the evolution of AML/CTF regime and the attendant reporting requirements. The FATFME noted that a comprehensive system for AML/CTF compliance for the entire financial sector needed to be established by the GOA, as does an administrative penalty regime for AML/CTF noncompliance.
In June 2002, Australia passed the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism Act 2002 (SFT Act).
The aim of the SFT Act is to restrict the financial resources available to support the activities of terrorist organizations. This legislation criminalizes terrorist financing and substantially increases the penalties that apply when a person uses or deals with suspected terrorist assets that are subject to freezing. The SFT Act enhances the collection and use of financial intelligence by requiring cash dealers to report suspected terrorist financing transactions to AUSTRAC, and relaxes restrictions on information sharing with relevant authorities regarding the aforementioned transactions. The SFT Act also addresses commitments Australia has made with regard to the UNSCR 1373 and is intended to implement the UN International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism. Under this Act three accounts related to an entity listed on the UNSCR 1267 Sanction Committee's consolidated list, the International Sikh Youth Federation, were frozen in September 2002. There have been no arrests or prosecutions under this legislation. The Security Legislation Amendment (Terrorism) Act 2002 also inserted new criminal offenses in the Criminal Code for receiving funds from, or making funds available to, a terrorist organization The Anti-Terrorism Act (No.2) 2005 (AT Act), which took effect on December 14, 2006, amends offenses related to the funding of a terrorist organization in the Criminal Code so that they also cover the collection of funds for or on behalf of a terrorist organization. The AT Act also inserts a new offense of financing a terrorist. The SFT Act amendments to the FTR Act were a significant milestone in the enhancement of AUSTRAC's international efforts. These amendments gave the Director of AUSTRAC the right to establish agreements with international counterparts to directly exchange intelligence, spontaneously and upon request. A review of the FTR Act is currently being undertaken to improve procedures, implement international best practices, and address further aspects of terrorist financing, including alternative remittance systems.
Investigations of money laundering reside with the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and Australian Crime Commission (Australia's only national multi- jurisdictional law enforcement agency). The AFP is the primary law enforcement agency for the investigation of money laundering and terrorist- financing offences in Australia at the Commonwealth level and has both a dedicated Financial Crimes Unit and Financial Investigative Teams (FIT) consisting of 44 members with primary responsibility for asset identification/restraint and forfeiture under the POCA 2002. The Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions (CDPP) prosecutes offences against Commonwealth law and to recover proceeds of Commonwealth crime. The main cases prosecuted by the CDPP involve drug importation and money laundering offences. No convictions for money laundering have been reported for 2006.
In April 2003, the AFP established a Counter Terrorism Division to undertake intelligence-led investigations to prevent and disrupt terrorist acts. Eleven Joint Counter Terrorism Teams (JCTT), including investigators and analysts with financial investigation skills and experience, are conducting a number of investigations specifically into suspected terrorist financing in Australia. The AFP also works closely with overseas counterparts in the investigation of terrorist financing, and has worked closely with the FBI on matters relating to terrorist financing structures in South East Asia. In 2006, AFP introduced mandatory consideration of potential money laundering and crime proceeds into its case management processes, thereby ensuring that case officers explore the possibility of money laundering and crime proceeds actions in all investigations conducted by the AFP.
A draft AML/CTF bill developed by the AGD and a package of draft AML/CTF Rules, developed by AUSTRAC, were released for public comment in December 2005 and received Royal Assent on December 12, 2006. The AML/CTF Act covers the financial sector, gambling, bullion dealing and any other professionals or businesses that provide particular designated services and imposes a number of obligations including customer due diligence, reporting requirements, record keeping, and establishing AML/CTF programs. The Act will implement a risk-based approach to regulation. Implementation will occur over a two-year period and include consultation with reporting entities. Under the Act, AUSTRAC will now have an expanded role as the national AML/CTF regulator with supervisory, monitoring and enforcement functions over a diverse range of business sectors.
The package of draft legislation and rules formed the basis for consultations on proposed enhancements to current customer due diligence, reporting and record keeping obligations, and deficiencies in regulatory coverage identified in Australia's FATF Mutual Evaluation Report. The consultation package represented a first tranche of reforms. The final component of the first tranche commences in December 2008.
Once the first tranche of AML/CTF reforms are implemented. the Australian Government will consider a second tranche of reforms (to begin in 2007), extending to real estate agents, jewelers, and specified nonfinancial legal and accounting services. Lawyers and accountants are also included in the first tranche, but only where they compete with the financial sector and not for general services, which will be included in the second tranche. The proposed legislative framework authorizes operational details to be settled in AML/CTF Rules, which will be developed by (AUSTRAC) in consultation with industry.
Australia is a party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention, the UN Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism, and the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its protocol on migrant smuggling. In September, 1999, a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty between Australia and the United States entered into force. Australia participates actively in a range of international fora including the FATF, the Pacific Islands Forum, and the Commonwealth Secretariat.
Through its funding and hosting of the Secretariat of the Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering, of which it serves as permanent co-chair, the GOA has elevated money laundering and terrorist financing issues to a priority concern among countries in the Asia/Pacific region. AUSTRAC is an active member of the Egmont Group of Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs). AUSTRAC has signed exchange Instruments, mostly in the form of Memoranda of understanding (MOUs) allowing the exchange of financial intelligence with FinCEN and the FIUs of 45 other countries.
Following the bombings in Bali in October 2002, the Australian Government announced an AUD10 million (approximately $7.5 million) initiative managed by the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID), to assist in the development of counterterrorism capabilities in Indonesia. As part of this initiative, the AFP has established a number of training centers such as the Jakarta Centre for Law Enforcement Cooperation. As part of Australia's broader regional assistance initiatives, AUSTRAC continued its South East Asia Counter Terrorism Program of providing capacity building assistance to 10 South East Asian nations, to develop capacity in detecting and dealing with terrorist financing and money laundering. AUSTRAC is also providing further assistance in terms of IT system enhancement to the Indonesian FIU, PPATK (Indonesian Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center). AUSTRAC has provided training and other technical assistance to other developing FIUs in Southeast Asia. In the Pacific region, AUSTRAC has developed and provided unique software and training for personnel to five nascent Pacific island FIUs to fulfill their domestic obligations and share information with foreign analogs. AUSTRAC is also providing a larger scale information management system solution for the Fiji FIU to enable the collection and analysis of financial transaction reports.
The AGD received a grant of AUD 7.7 million (approximately $5.75) to develop a four year program to enhance AML/CTF regimes for the Pacific island jurisdictions. The AGD's program will work cooperatively with the U.S. Department of State-funded Pacific Islands Anti-Money Laundering Program (PALP). The PALP, a four-year program, will be managed by the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) and will employ residential mentors to develop or enhance existing AML/CTF regimes in the fourteen non-FATF member states of the PIF.
The GOA continues to pursue a comprehensive, anti-money laundering/counterterrorist financing regime that meets the objectives of the revised FATF Forty Recommendations and Nine Special Recommendations on Terrorist Financing. To enhance its AML/CTF regime, as noted in the FATF mutual evaluation, AUSTRAC has been provided with substantially increased powers to ensure compliance. There will be more on-site compliance audits and AUSTRAC can require regular compliance reports from reporting entities; can initiate monitoring orders and statutory demands for information and documents; can seek civil penalty orders, remedial directions and injunctions; and, can require a reporting entity to subject itself to an external audit of its AML/CTF program. The AML/CTF Act also provides for greater coordination amongst the regulatory agencies of its financial, securities and insurance sectors.
The GOA is continuing its exemplary leadership role in emphasizing money laundering/terrorist finance issues and trends within the Asia/Pacific region and its commitment to providing training and technical assistance to the jurisdictions in that region. Having significantly enhanced its increased focus on AML/CTF deterrence, the Government of Australia should increase its efforts to prosecute and convict money launderers.