The Differences between Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing

Abstract

For most countries, money laundering and terrorist financing raise significant issues with regard to prevention, detection and prosecution. Sophisticated techniques used to launder money and finance terrorism add to the complexity of these issues. Money laundering is a fundamentally simple concept. It is the process by which proceeds from a criminal activity are disguised to conceal their illicit origins. Basically, money laundering involves the proceeds of criminally derived property rather than the property itself. The financing of terrorism is also a fundamentally simple concept. It is the financial support, in any form, of terrorism or of those who encourage, plan, or engage in terrorism. Therefore, this paper will present: what are the common elements of money laundering and terrorist financing, what are the differences between money laundering and terrorist financing, and how international conventions provide for money laundering and terrorist financing.