Uruguay’s anti-money laundering chief has called for greater oversight of religious groups and non-governmental organizations, fearing organized crime to take advantage of current lax regulations…
Diaz said the emergence of “a new world” of money laundering has led to a need for the adoption of fresh measures, citing concerns over the presence of groups like the Italian mafias the Cosa Nostra and ‘Ndrangheta in the area and saying Uruguay needs to avoid religious institutions — which are tax exempt — being converted into financers of “terrorist acts.”
According to El Espectador, Diaz said that despite Uruguay not being a large drug market, it still faced a threat from organized crime because of the money laundering possibilities its financial system presents. Diaz mentioned two past examples of a Sinaloa Cartel operative and the family member of a Colombian president attempting to launder money through the country.
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