ATTACK ON MILITARY SUPPLIES MASQUERADING AS HUMANITARIAN GOODS REMINDS US TO WATCH FOR MONEY LAUNDERING POSING AS FINANCIAL AID TO STRICKEN VICTIMS

Above you can see smoke rising from the Aleppo Airport, where what looks like an Israeli attack occurred on Iranian food shipments sent to the scene of a major earthquake, but which artfully concealed arms and ammunition shipments to Syria and Hezbollah. A smart criminal once said "The best time to Rob a Bank is in the Middle of a War."  Money launderers tend to follow that rule; they often seek to conceal the transfer of criminal proceeds by moving it during a national catastrophe, like a hurricane or earthquake, aware that bank compliance officers will not look twice at funds designated as humanitarian aid. They are simply too busy with the national disaster they have on their hands.

As a compliance officer, you need to educate your frontline staff to be sensitive to any funds transfer coming from high-risk areas, or sources not normally known to be associated with humanitarian aid, for they may actually be dirty money being moved amidst the chaos. Experienced laundrymen know precisely how to categorize their money movement during such emergencies; they have counterparties at the other end who have already set up bogus charities to receive the funds, or they have co-opted or influenced a legitimate charity to accept, and forward, their funds, perhaps donating a portion to the charity in the process.

Remember, money launderers stay up night and weekends, just to succeed in their mission, which is to get their clients' criminal proceeds to a safe place, hopefully cleaning it in the process, so that it may be invested or stored safely. They always look for what we called in the military "Targets of Opportunity." Your job is to deny them a successful outcome.