EAG typology projects

EAG typology projects

The main focus of the Working Group on Typologies and Countering the Financing of Terrorism and Crime (WGTYP) is to conduct typologies studies to identify key threats and vulnerabilities inherent in the Eurasian region and to consistently develop guides and recommendations for competent authorities and a set of indicators for implementation in the private sector.

The following are the types of researches in the WGTYP and the topics of the typologies studies conducted since the establishment of the EAG in 2004.

Typological research is a typology project with the objective of a thematic analysis of existing and observed typical schemes of money laundering, and methods of terrorist financing and proliferation financing (ML/TF/PF) with a view to raising awareness of EAG Member States, observers and other interested parties, identifying deficiencies in national AML/CFT/CPF systems. Based on the outcomes of the typological research, sets of risk indicators may be developed that will allow the private sector to effectively identify suspicious financial transactions and (or) criteria that enable the public sector, to form adequate response to the identified ML/TF/PF typologies with the use of available resources.

Research on new (emerging) risks, threats and vulnerabilities is a typology project aimed to study new, previously unobserved, or poorly researched risks, schemes and methods of ML/TF/PF. The outcomes of such projects may be developed into proposals to prevent or mitigate the emerging unobserved risks and threats and to eliminate vulnerabilities in order to strengthen the AML/CFT/CPF systems. 

Development of guidelines or other documents on the most relevant ML/TF/PF issues, specific to the Eurasian region is a typology project aimed to study the theoretical foundations and generalized structured presentation of proposals on the organization of practical activities in specific fields of generic AML/CFT/CPF, based on the generalization of best practices, including legislative regulation, for the purposes of development of proposals on possible mechanisms of regulation and rational functioning of AML/CFT/CPF systems, means and solutions to enhance the effectiveness of coordination and cooperation of financial investigation units, law enforcement agencies and to facilitate interaction between the public and private sector.

A typology project includes a project leader (co-leaders), selected among the EAG Members and (or) observers, alternatively, a project team will be formed, comprising of representatives of EAG Member States and/or observers and may also include representatives of other countries or organizations declaring interest in participating in the project may be included. Any country or organisation involved in strengthening the global AML/CFT/CPF network can be a participant in the project.

Topics of completed EAG typology projects and other key documents:

2024:

• "Criteria for identifying suspicious money recovery lawsuits for the purpose of money laundering"

2023:

• "Mechanism to monitor the operational environment in the Member States in terms of new risks"
• "Laundering of the proceeds from corruption offences and crimes against the interests of public service" (India)
• "Laundering of the proceeds from illicit trade of narcotics and precursors" (Kazakhstan)
• "EAG Methodological Guidelines on Organising and Conducting Financial Investigations in the AML/CFT Sphere"
• "The unified financial profile of a foreign terrorist fighter in the EAG region" (Uzbekistan)
• "Guidelines on the listing/de-listing of terrorists/extremists and freezing of their assets" (Tajikistan)

2022: 

• "Laundering of the proceeds from tax and economic crimes" (Kyrgyzstan)
• "Legalization (laundering) of the proceeds of cybercrime, as well as financing of terrorism from the said offence, including through the use of electronic money or virtual assets and the infrastructure of their providers" (Russia)
• Brief summary of the conclusions of the first round of ML/TF risk assessment in the Eurasian region (assessment of observable ML/TF schemes (methods))

2021:

• The Eurasian Region ML/TF Risk Assessment Methodology
• Typologies of the use of preventive measures of financial institutions for crime detection and risk assessment (Russia)

2019:

• Terrorist financing using proceeds of crime including organized crime (Russia)
• Features of cross-border drug trafficking schemes and legalization of proceeds of drugs with the use of electronic payment tools and cryptocurrency (Russia)

2018:

• Money Laundering through Insurance Companies (China, Russia)
• Identification of Individuals Assisting Terrorist Organizations in Purchasing Tickets for Terrorist Fighters (Russia)

2017:

• Structural analysis of financial flows related to cash-in with the purpose of committing offences and money laundering (Kazakhstan)
• The unified financial profile of FTFs in the EAG region (Russia)
• List of information of interest to the FIU in the implementation of activities within joint (international) investigations (Russia)

2016:

• Money laundering of activities financial pyramids (Tajikistan)
• Typology of corruption offences and money laundering (Russia)
• Typologies of illegal expatriation of assets of the credit institutions (Russia)
• Methodological recommendations on terrorist and extremist listing and delisting mechanism and assets freezing (blocking) mechanism of specified entities (Russia)
• Links between counterfeiting and terrorism financing (India)
• Use of companies registered in offshore jurisdictions for redistribution of proceeds of crime and money laundering (Russia)
• Possible ways of improvement of terrorist and extremist listing and delisting mechanism and assets freezing mechanism for combating the financing of terrorist and extremist activities (Russia)
• The problem of disclosing the financial component of the drug business (Russia)

2014:

• Cybercrime and Money Laundering (Ukraine)

2013:

• Tax crimes and money laundering typology research (Russia, Ukraine)
• Money laundering through securities market (India)

2012:

• Money laundering and terrorist financing vulnerabilities of transactions with intangible assets (particularly, intellectual property) (Ukraine)
• Misuse of non-profit organizations for money laundering (Kazakhstan)
• Money laundering and terrorist financing with use of physical cash and bearer instruments (Belarus)
• EAG Member states’ FIUs cooperation for the purpose of preventing terrorist activities of organizations acting in the Eurasian region and not listed in the international list (un) of terrorist organizations (Russia)

2011:

• Cash and cashless financial transactions involving organized crime groups (including ethnic crime groups) (Kyrgyzstan – Russia) 
• Money laundering and terrorist financing through alternative remittance systems (USA) 
• Preventing offences related to government procurements (Russia) 

2010:

• "Risks of misuse of electronic money for money laundering and terrorist financing" (Russia);
• "Risks of misuse of non-traditional financial institutions for money laundering and terrorist financing schemes" (Russia).

2009:

• "Laundering of proceeds from drugs, psychotropic agents and their precursors trafficking";
• "External trade transactions as means of money laundering";
• "Laundering of proceeds from budget funds embezzlement and abuse of power by heads of organizations with state ownership".

2008:

• "Trans-border cash transactions involving individuals".

2007:

• "Typologies of Terrorism Financing";
• "Legalisation of the Proceeds from Illegal Trafficking of Drugs and Psychotropic Substances";
• "Cash-based Schemes for Money Laundering".

2006:

• "Use of Offshore Companies and Offshore Jurisdictions for Money Laundering";
• "Legalisation of the Proceeds from Illegal Trafficking of Drugs and Psychotropic Substances";
• "Use of Non-Commercial Organizations for Terrorism Financing".

2005:

• "Use of Non-Resident Organizations for Reinvestment of Proceeds from Crime into the Economy (through Offshore Companies)";
• "Use of Fraudulent VAT Pay-back Schemes in Exports of Goods and Services for the Purpose of Obtaining Proceeds from Crime and Their Laundering";
• "A Glancing Research on Alternative Remittance Systems in the Eurasian Region".