UK firms under investigation for money laundering

Around 19 companies in the UK are at the heart of an investigation into one of Europe’s biggest money-laundering operations.

An investigation by The Independent and the NGO Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project has identified dozens of firms involved in a global web spreading from Birmingham to Belize. The scam appears to have gone on for four years.

According to correspondent of The Independent, the firms are allegedly forming part of a conspiracy to make £12.5bn obtained illegaly to look legitimate. The scandal highlights how lax corporate rules have made this country an attractive destination for global organised crime, as the funds are believed to have come from major criminal and corrupt officials around the world, as reported by the business correspondant of the newspaper.