Money laundering originally refers to cleaning dirty money, but its significance is not the same after the times have changed. Some scholars in our country believe that money laundering refers to the behavior that criminals transfer, exchange, buy financial instruments or directly invest illegally obtained funds through banks or other financial institutions, thus compressing and covering up their illegal sources and nature and legalizing illegal assets.
The language expression of its image records the origin of the word money laundering: at the beginning of the 20th century, the financial director of an organized criminal gang headed by Ali Capone in Chicago, USA, bought an automatic washing machine to wash clothes for customers, and then declared it to the tax authorities by mixing laundry income with criminal income, so that illegal income and assets were put on a legal coat.
Extended data:
Money laundering refers to the process of transforming illegal gains into "legal property" through financial or other institutions, which has become a very key link for the survival and development of criminal groups. On the one hand, through money laundering, organized crime covers up the traces of its criminal activities and can "properly enjoy" the proceeds of crime.
The object of money laundering is black money, including: drug trafficking, smuggling, arms trafficking, fraud, theft, robbery, corruption, tax evasion and other criminal gains. In addition, there are many other ways of money laundering, such as buying real estate, jewelry, antiques and so on. And then convert them into cash or other financial assets.
A new money laundering activity, namely corruption, has emerged. On a global scale, money laundering activities of public officials are becoming more and more frequent. Through various channels, they put the black money of corruption and bribery on the cloak of legitimate income. After that, you can not only openly squander and enjoy these illegal gains, but also use them for investment and appreciation, which has exceeded the traditional money laundering. This new phenomenon of money laundering is becoming more and more serious in China.