Given the risk posed by trade-based money laundering, the Financial Intelligence Unit (UIF) and the Confederation of Associations of Customs Agents of the Mexican Republic (CAAAREM) will join efforts to combat crimes with operations with provenance resources illicit and terrorist financing, linked to the exercise of customs agencies.
Recently, the UIF and the CAAAREM signed a collaboration agreement with which both agreed to jointly and preventively develop roundtables and working groups, forums, workshops and seminars to combat the risks of laundering inherent to customs activity.
According to Santiago Nieto Castillo, head of the FIU, this agreement is important to combat acts of corruption in customs and bad practices in them such as money laundering, the smuggling of fentanyl that is used for the manufacture of drugs, as well such as unfair trade in the shoe industry.
The official stressed that among the main types of crimes that have been detected in customs is the sale of luxury vehicles exported to China. In addition, he recalled that the main threats that the country has in terms of money laundering are organized crime, detected illicit resources and corruption.
For his part, Arturo Reyes Rosas, president of the CAAAREM, indicated that this agreement is important to combat customs corruption, which has the effects of reducing national security, tax fraud and increasing costs assumed by the community, among others to the detriment of the Mexican economy.
Read full article (Spanish).