Canada’s financial intelligence agency suspects online gambling platforms are being used to launder proceeds from fentanyl dealing and production.
In an operational alert, the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada says there is reason to believe people are depositing and withdrawing funds at online casinos to disguise proceeds from the traffic in deadly fentanyl and other opioids as wagers and winnings.
The newly published alert says known fentanyl traffickers have frequently sent money to digital gambling sites and received funds in return from associated payment processors in Canada, Malta and the United Kingdom.
The federal centre, known as Fintrac, identifies cash linked to money laundering and terrorism by sifting through millions of pieces of data annually from banks, insurance companies, securities dealers, money service businesses, real estate brokers, casinos and others….