The office was able to process 4,074 of these reports last year, and forwarded about half (2,024) to the law enforcement agencies, as it stated in its annual reportExternal link published on Thursday.
By the end of 2019, there were still 6,095 suspicious cases – including thousands from previous years – awaiting processing. This is about one fifth more than at the end of 2018.
114 suspected terrorism cases
The total amount of assets reported under suspicion of money laundering in 2019 amounted to CHF12.9 billion ($13.2 billion) as of November 22, when the office switched to a new internal data system.
As in previous years, these assets originated mainly from suspected fraud or corruption offences. Almost all reports were made by banks or payment service providers. In contrast to the banks, the number of reports from asset managers, trustees, lawyers and notaries has not increased in recent years.
The office received 114 reports of suspected terrorist financing (down from 132 in 2018). Only 13.4% of these reports were forwarded to the judicial authorities. In more than three quarters of the cases, the reports were triggered by newspaper reports (35%), transaction monitoring (24%) or information from third parties (19%).
Swiss government proposes overhaul of money-laundering laws
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The Federal Council (executive body) proposed on Wednesday a set of legal amendments External linkto meet international standards in the fight against money laundering and terrorism financing. It also made recommendations regarding due diligence requirements for Swiss-based associations active abroad, as well as the traders of precious metals and stones. Lawyers and notaries in the spotlight The…
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Swiss public broadcasters RTS and SRF are drastically reducing their communications via the social network X (formerly Twitter).
Israel: president of Swiss universities rejects academic boycott
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Luciana Vaccaro, president of Swissuniversities, the umbrella group of Swiss universities, is not in favour of an academic boycott of Israeli universities.
First large-scale alpine solar plant approved in Switzerland
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The approval was met with satisfaction by the project's organisers, but it also brings with it a certain amount of pressure.
Medieval squirrels may have ‘helped spread leprosy’
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An examination of squirrel remains in the United Kingdom has opened up interesting questions and possibilities in terms of the history of the disease.
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