🇨🇦 The $14.8 BILLION Shadow: Unregistered Crypto Desks Fueling Global Crime! 💸
$BANANAS31 $ASTER $USTC A shocking joint investigation just exposed Canada's gaping hole in its Anti-Money Laundering (AML) defenses! Unregistered, illegal "crypto-to-cash" services across the country are operating with "absolutely zero checks," allowing criminal networks to off-ramp huge sums of crypto into untraceable fiat.
What the Investigation Uncovered
Zero ID, Maximum Cash: Undercover reporters were able to complete cash-for-crypto exchanges with minimal verification—in one Toronto storefront, a $5 bill's serial number was enough to collect cash! This directly violates Canadian AML laws requiring ID for transfers over $1,000.
The $1 Million Offer: International platforms, like the Ukraine-based 001k, offered to deliver up to $1 MILLION in cash to locations in Montreal and Quebec in exchange for Tether (USDT), with no identity checks required.
Massive Volume: According to Chainalysis data, 001k has received over $14.8 BILLION in crypto transfers since August 2022, operating without FINTRAC registration in Canada. This shows the sheer scale of the illicit money flow bypassing legal channels.
The Enforcement Crisis
Experts are calling this the "Wild West." FINTRAC, Canada's financial intelligence unit, is reportedly under-resourced, struggling to police the 2,600+ registered money service businesses, let alone the dozens of unregistered crypto-to-cash couriers operating from Halifax to Vancouver.
This regulatory gap makes Canada an attractive haven for laundering the proceeds of crime, threatening the integrity of the entire digital asset ecosystem.
👇 How can the crypto community push regulators to close these dangerous loopholes without stifling innovation?
#Canada #MoneyLaundering #CryptoCrime #aml #FINTRAC