Anti-money laundering policy: A response to the activity of criminals or of agencies?

The narrative within this chapter is built around the twin agencies of the FSA and the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) and their role in AML, recognising that both agencies now exist in a different form. Thus we consider the ‘matrimonial’ relationship between the regulators and the regulated entity that is internal to the financial markets. We further consider how both relate to the police enforcement agency, an agency that is external to the financial markets and in our metaphor is the silent jealous lover. It is the external enforcement agency that we suggest to be the ultimate beneficiary of the outcome of their joint compliance effort. This is played out through the regulatory ‘rituals’ that define the terms of engagement for the different sides, where each knows the rules, how they should be adhered to and both benefit from their continued existence; tending towards a mutual support for the status quo. Indeed, their relationship can be viewed as that of a married couple where the initial ardour has long since departed but they stay together in mutual tolerance because their history is jointly constructed and co-dependent such that one could no longer envisage life without the other. It considers evidence from a range of material taken from public sources and uses for illustration, previously unpublished data that has been collected from three semi structured interviews that were conducted in June and July 2009 with Money Laundering Reporting Officers (MLROs) based respectively, in a financial institution, a firm of accountants and from within the gaming industry. These were selected as representative of the range of professions that fall within the AML regulatory framework

Disjointed Service: An English Case Study of Multi-Agency Provision in Tackling Child Trafficking

This paper examines the issue of child trafficking in the United Kingdom and of multi-agency responses in tackling it. The UK, as a signatory to the recent trafficking protocols, is required to implement measures to identify and support potential victims of trafficking - via the National Referral Mechanism. Effective support for child victims is reliant on cooperation between agencies. Our regional case-study contends that fragmented agency understandings of protocols and disjointed partnership approaches in service delivery means the trafficking of vulnerable children continues across the region. This paper asserts that child-trafficking in the UK, previously viewed as an isolated localised phenomenon, maybe far more widespread, revealing deficiencies in child protection services for vulnerable children

SME Access to Finance: An exploration into the demand and supply contraints around SME access to finance

In March 2011, the Newcastle Business School, Northumbria University was commissioned by North East Access to Finance (NEA2F) to undertake a major piece of independent academic research to explore both the demand and supply sides of SME access to finance in the North East of England. The aim of the research was to gain insight and understanding into the challenges faced not only by the SME sector but also by the key suppliers of finance to that community, specifically the banking sector and Business Angels. Thus we do not take a position on what we think is right or what a best practice approach might be but rather reflect, as accurately as possible, the information that was shared with us. The research project commenced in May 2011 and was completed at the end of March 2012

The search for crime money – debunking the myth: facts versus imagery

Purpose – The purpose of this paper evolves from a seminar that look place in July 2008 aimed at uncovering the issues facing agencies tackling criminal money management and money laundering policy and compliance. The event brought representatives from financial firms and law enforcement agencies together to debate issues with academics. Design/methodology/approach – The paper rehearses the main arguments arising from the seminar underpinned by appropriate literature prior to introducing the other papers included in the special edition. Findings – The objective is to draw attention to the importance of establishing evidence-based building blocks of facts, rather than threats and imagery that should be used to inform policy makers. Practical implications – Policy makers need to pay attention to the findings of objective empirical research and use theses to inform policy making. Originality/value – The special edition is of value to academics and policy makers, bringing together, as it does, research that is taking place across Europe

The accidental plagiarist: an institutional approach to distinguishing between a deliberate attempt to deceive and poor academic practice

There is a distinction in the literature between what is regarded as ‘intentional’ plagiarism involving a deliberate attempt to deceive (by the ‘committed’ plagiarist) in order to gain unfair advantage and ‘unintentional’ plagiarism that is associated with poor academic practice stemming from ignorance or misunderstanding of requirements (the ‘accidental’ plagiarist). Clearly, whilst neither should be condoned the former is decidedly less acceptable than the latter. Further, an analysis of explanatory variables for incidence of plagiarism that have been highlighted in the literature indicates a grouping under three key themes: Pressure, Academic Input, and Personal Factors, lending support to the view that plagiarism is seen as a ‘coping mechanism’ or as a rational response to the circumstances in which the student finds them self. The implication being that the majority of plagiarism is committed by accident and unintentionally. Thus if steps can be taken to support these students (teaching of academic skills, design of assessment and use of JISC) then we can be assured that any remaining plagiarists are ‘committed’ and plagiarise in the full knowledge that it is wrong and are fully aware of the consequences of being caught. Working from this premise, two Schools (Newcastle Business School and School of the Built Environment) from the University of Northumbria are currently undergoing a process of academic debate and discussion in an attempt to provide a working distinction between deliberate plagiarism and poor academic practice. Once defined, this would set in process a series of both short (agreement on penalties and the formative use of JISC) and long term actions (embedding critical thinking and academic integrity). Having defined our boundaries and working with our students it is intended to monitor and evaluate the impact of the strategy, as it is implemented, specifically with respect to the actions and activity of our ‘accidental plagiarists’. This paper, therefore, focuses on establishing the theoretical position of plagiarism against academic practice; establishing the strategic context within which academic consultation and debate took place; on how acceptance and support was gained from academic colleagues within the two different Schools, on how we disseminated the changes to students and the tools and processes developed to support both groups

Money laundering scale & prevention: facts & myths

Regulatory authorities justify their anti-money laundering legislative zeal on the basis that they believe money laundering to be on a scale so vast as to threaten the very foundations of the financial system. Think of the IMF's estimate of 2-5% of global GDP or the UK Government's estimate of UK£25 billion. What is interesting, however, is that as long ago as 1997 and following several years of attempting to measure the volume of laundered funds, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) simply gave up, noting the "the vast majority of FATF members lack sufficient data to support any credible estimate" (FATF, 1997 p3). We are faced with the problem that there has been little work to develop an objective academic analysis of the true extent of laundering, which means that we do not have a framework within which the appropriateness of legislative measures can be evaluated. Without this, it is difficult to challenge the 'alarmist' position of the authorities whereby such estimates have been put forward, quoted and repeated, becoming, through such repetition, seemingly established truths. It can be argued, therefore, that global estimates are little more than informed guesses: "...large numbers are frequently thrown around without serious support" (Reuter and Truman, 2005, p56), re-produced to the pont at which they gain, through mere repetition, some form of reliable accuracy (see aso Levi and Reuter, 2006, p.327)

The Janus-Faces of Cross-Border Crime in Europe

Europe is changing rapidly, which may also have a bearing on its criminal landscape. This does not mean that all sorts of new crime are emerging: a large part of the crimes remains profit-oriented and is committed by known modus operandi. That is the old face of crime. Amidst the traditional landscape new faces of crime can be identified. The internet is such a new face which emerges among others in the sex industry. This is as old as the human race, with all the related abuses and exploitation. But the internet gives it also a new face because of its broad reach and related opportunities, negative as well as positive. This volume provides other examples of this two-faced Janus head of crime. Old criminal trades, such as the illegal cigarette market, synthetic drugs and criminal exploitation of human labour, but also new criminal specialisations, new professional and industrial skills developed by ‘old’ ethnic minorities on various crime markets in central Europe. Meanwhile, the on-going illegal migrations continue to exert their influence on the perception of crime: while the actual prevalence of most types of crime decreases, fear of crime continues to increase. The flow of migrants is unrelated to this outcome but it impacts nevertheless on the perception of crime. This volume of the 18th Cross-border Crime Colloquium, held in Bratislava in the spring of 2017, contains the peer-reviewed contributions of 22 European experts and up-and-coming researchers. Their chapters cover a broad field of crime in which the double faced Janus head can be discerned: illegal migrants, criminal markets, corruption, money laundering and organised crime, highlighting many new aspects

Implementing the Flinders Model of self-management support with Aboriginal people who have diabetes: findings from a pilot study

Programs to increase patients' capacity to manage their chronic disease are growing in popularity with policy makers, health professionals and the general public. However, until this pilot in regional South Australia, Indigenous people rarely participated in such programs. The pilot included extensive consultations with the Indigenous community, ownership of the program by an Aboriginal community-controlled health service, and a key role for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers as the main coordinators of self-management support. The result was that 60 Aboriginal people participated and achieved notable improvements in health outcomes and personal goals. This pilot demonstrates that mainstream programs are relevant for Aboriginal communities as long as Aboriginal people lead the adaptation process