A new report by the New Zealand Police Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) estimates domestic criminal activity is generating $1.35 billion for money laundering each year.

Most of it comes from drug offending ($750m), fraud ($500m) and other offences such as burglary ($100m).

But the estimates exclude tax offending or laundering of money from overseas criminal activity. And the actual amount laundered domestically is likely to be much higher once it's been washed through multiple transactions to hide its source and provide legitimacy. Continue reading