STR: Suspicious Transaction Report

After 12 months in office, has the new Labour government turned the page on the fight against illicit finance, or is governing harder than opposition? CFS Director Tom Keatinge speaks with CFS Financial Crime Policy lead Kathryn Westmore and Associate Fellow Josie Stewart about the progress made by the new Labour government in its efforts to combat illicit finance as they assess what more should b...

A look behind the curtain at the financial dimension of Russia's attempts to undermine Moldova's 2024 presidential election and EU referendum. CFS Director Tom Keatinge speaks with Veronica Dragalin, former Chief Anti-Corruption Prosecutor in Moldova, who had a front row seat as the country confronted the reality of Russia's attempts to subvert the 2024 presidential election and EU referendum via...

How the compliance systems of financial institutions have adapted in response to post-2022 trade restrictions on Russia. CFS Director Tom Keatinge speaks with CFS Associate Fellow Olivia Allison and Jinesh Amin, a financial crime specialist at Quantexa. They discuss the latest CFS policy brief co-authored by Olivia which looks at how banks have responded to the ever-mounting expectations placed on...

Sanctions have become the go-to policy tool of our times, yet the lessons of the past are often forgotten by those at the centre of the world's stage today. CFS Director Tom Keatinge speaks with Eddie Fishman, a former US State Department sanctions official, about his new book 'Chokepoints.' Eddie gives a behind the scenes account of how the power of the US dollar and US-dominated financial and tr...

A new report from the Financial Action Task Force examines how financial intelligence can be used to protect children from online sexual exploitation. CFS Director Tom Keatinge speaks with Abi Harrison from the United Kingdom's HM Treasury and Stefan Jerga from the Australian Federal Police about a new report from the Financial Action Task Force, examining the financial dimension of online child s...

With geopolitical risk rising, this episode examines a recent Dutch National Bank report on how banks should navigate growing global tensions and fragmentation. CFS Director Tom Keatinge speaks with Thomas Vos, Strategy & Policy Advisor of De Nederlandsche   Bank and Haroon Sheikh, Senior Research Fellow at the Netherlands Scientific Council for Government Policy (WRR) on the risks posed to the ba...

How could frozen Russian assets be used and what are the legal and geopolitical implications? Head of CFS Europe, Kinga Redlowska, is joined by Anton Moiseienko, CFS Associate Fellow and Senior Lecturer in Law at the Australian National University, along with Tom Keatinge, Director of CFS. They explore the ongoing debate about the future of frozen Russian assets, examining their potential uses and...

This episode explores the role of the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU)-the Netherlands in combating financial crime, featuring insights from its head, Hennie Verbeek-Kusters on challenges, strategies and global cooperation. CFS Director Tom Keatinge speaks with Hennie Verbeek-Kusters, Head of FIU-the Netherlands and former Chair of the Egmont Group, to discuss work at the FIU since 2008. They exp...

Sanctions on Belarus cover multiple issues: fraudulent elections, human rights abuses, and complicity in Russia's military aggression against Ukraine. But what is their real impact? Head of CFS Europe Kinga Redlowska is joined by Lev Lvovskiy, Senior Researcher at the Belarusian Economic Research and Outreach Center (BEROC) , and Tom Keatinge, Director of CFS, to examine the goals and effectivenes...

Tom Keatinge and Jessica Davis explore the impact of Trump's tariff threats on Canada, alongside the country's ongoing challenges with illicit finance and money laundering. CFS Director Tom Keatinge is joined by Jessica Davis, CFS Associate Fellow and President and Principal Consultant with Insight Threat Intelligence, to discuss the rationale and impact of the threat of tariffs from the new US ad...

This episode explores the potential of whistleblower reward programmes to transform economic crime investigations. CFS Director Tom Keatinge is joined by Eliza Lockhart, Research Fellow at CFS, and Nick Ephgrave, Director of the Serious Fraud Office, to discuss Eliza's SOC ACE research paper, 'The Role of Financial Rewards for Whistleblowers in the Fight Against Economic Crime'. Together, they exa...

Talk of state threats, hostile states and hybrid warfare has notably increased. But how do these threats differ from those faced in the past? CFS Director Tom Keatinge is joined by Matthew Redhead, Senior Associate Fellow at CFS, to discuss his new Serious Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Evidence (SOC ACE) research programme paper, 'Old Wine, New Bottles: The Challenge of State Threats', and t...

We explore the growing threat of sabotage attacks across Europe and the technological tools used for financing and recruitment. Host Tom Keatinge is joined by Dr Daniela Richterova, Senior Lecturer and Associate Professor at the Department of War Studies at King's College London, and Holger Roonemaa and Inga Springe, investigative journalists from the Baltic states, to discuss Russia's growing cam...

This episode explores the astonishing case of one of the world's biggest money-laundering schemes via the well-known Swedish Bank, Swedbank. Host Tom Keatinge, CFS Director, and investigative reporter Axel Gordh Humlesjö examine the Swedbank story, what led to the investigation and how, even if banks have robust compliance systems that safeguard them against criminal misuse, they remain vulnerable...

How might a second Trump term reshape the US's use of sanctions? Host Kinga Redlowska, CFS Director Tom Keatinge and sanctions expert Jeff Lord examine the potential impact of a second Trump term on Russia, and how Europe should respond. With the rise of China and changing global dynamics, the conversation considers whether Trump's trademark 'maximum pressure' tactics will resurface – or if he'll...

Tom Keatinge and Wagner expert Jack Margolin discuss how the group became a global mercenary powerhouse and how to counter the rise of such groups. With insights from Jack Margolin, author of 'The Wagner Group: Inside Russia's Mercenary Army', this episode explores how the Wagner Group evolved into a global mercenary enterprise, profiting from conflict worldwide. With host Tom Keatinge, they unpac...

Host Kinga Redlowska, Head of CFS Europe, and Tom Keatinge, CFS Director, are joined by Stephanie Baker, Bloomberg investigative journalist and author of Punishing Putin. They delve into the impact of sanctions on Russia following its illegal invasion of Ukraine, exploring Russia's evasion tactics, the role of oligarchs, and the evolving use of sanctions as a tool in global diplomacy.

Host Tom Keatinge sits down with CFS Associate Fellow Stephen Reimer and international lawyer Ishita Chakrabati to discuss how authoritarian regimes are abusing the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) standards. Drawing on insights from a two-year RUSI study, this episode analyses how the FATF standards, which aim to tackle money laundering and terrorist financing, are being exploited by authoritar...

In this episode, host Tom Keatinge speaks with Dr Marcus Pleyer, former FATF president, about his role in shaping global financial crime policies and EU anti-money laundering efforts. They explore Marcus's professional journey, from a small corner of Germany's Ministry of Finance to leading the country's successful bid to host the EU's Anti-Money Laundering Authority. The conversation delves into...

In this episode, host Tom Keatinge, CFS Director, is joined by Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Director of the Transatlantic Security Program at CNAS, to discuss her co-authored article 'Axis of Upheaval'. They discuss the convergence of Russia, China, Iran and North Korea and the challenges posed across economic, military, political and technological dimensions. The conversation also delves into whether t...

In the first episode of the season, host Kinga Redlowska, Head of CFS Europe, is joined by Bethany Allen, author of Beijing Rules: China's Quest for Global Influence. They discuss how China has developed its economic statecraft in recent years, the innovative methods used to achieve its geopolitical ends, and what the West can do to respond to increasingly muscular Chinese economic activities.

In this teaser, host Kinga Redlowska, Head of CFS Europe, is joined by CFS Director Tom Keatinge to launch the theme for the new season, 'The Future Of'. Listen now to get a sneak peek at the range of topics and new ideas that will feature in Season Seven of the STR podcast.

In the last episode of this season, host Tom Keatinge, CFS Director, is joined by T Raja Kumar, former President of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). They discuss some of the key achievements during his presidency, such as his focus on asset recovery, increased FATF engagement with regional bodies around the world, the unprecedented suspension of Russia from the FATF, and what to expect as t...

In this episode, host Tom Keatinge, CFS Director, is joined by Darya Dolzikova, RUSI Research Fellow, to discuss her recent paper, 'Power Plays: Developments in Russian Enriched Uranium Trade'. They discuss the financial and diplomatic benefits Russia derives from its nuclear resources and industry expertise, the extent of Western dependencies on Russian enriched uranium despite some efforts to di...

Host Tom Keatinge, CFS Director, is joined by Geoff White, Investigative Journalist and author of Rinsed. They discuss cybercrime, money laundering, crypto hacking by North Korea, how criminals collaborate across multiple jurisdictions to evade the law, the recruitment of money-laundering mules, and the evolution of dark web marketplaces like Silk Road and Hydra.