Report: UK regulators to check money-laundering from Russia

LONDON, Mar 21 (PRIME) -- The U.K. financial authorities will check reports about its banks’ alleged involvement in Russian money laundering published by the Guardian newspaper, City Minister Simon Kirby said Tuesday, as cited by Reuters.

“The Financial Conduct Authority and the National Crime Agency take any such allegations seriously and will investigate closely whether recent information from the Guardian newspaper regarding money laundering from Russia, or indeed any other media source, would allow the progression of an investigation,” he said.

“The government is going to do what it takes to prevent and pursue anyone who might seek to abuse our financial system.”

Guardian reported on Monday that some of the U.K. banks, including Lloyds, Barclays and HSBC, processed about U.S. $740 million from a money-laundering operation run by Russian criminals allegedly linked to the Russian government and security services. The document seen by the newspaper revealed that some $20 billion fled Russia in 2010–2014.

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