Money Laundering, Technical and International Ways of Defense Against it

With the inception of science and technology revolution, especially information, communications, electronic and computer technology in the recent years, the fourth generation wars have been designed and experienced in recent wars as well and continue their evolutionary routes. One of the most significant aims of information and communications-based wars is the financial and banking markets of countries which are waged to destroy and corrupt economic markets of these countries. Within the past three decades, a new definition of crime has appeared in the economic affairs which due to its highly destructive dimensions in the national and international levels have attracted the attention of economic, political, legal systems of countries and international organizations and this crime is nothing but money laundering. Money laundering or money cleansing is a criminal activity in a large scale, group, continuous and long term which can go beyond the political boundaries of a hypothetical country. Money laundering has harmful effects on economy, society and politics, corruption and instability of economy, weakening private sector and privatization plans, reduction of government control on economic policies, corruption of government systems, public mistrust, discredit of governments and state economic organizations, development of criminal business, government and medical care costs upheaval, reduction of government tax revenues, instability and lack of sustainability in the world market, damaging global efforts to establish free and competitive markets and disruption in the economic growth and so on, are only parts of these effects. In the recent years, the financial systems have taken advantage of a new form of performance called electronic model. Criminals misuse the economy and its globalization and advances derived from information and communications to conceal their illegitimate income. They use plenty of techniques including swift money transfer from one country to other countries or companies and corporate cooperation in order to clean inappropriate sources. On the other hand, due to its destructive nature, Mafia-like powers and governments attempt to take advantage of this method as a passive defense attack in order to disintegrate the economic systems of other countries and therefore their political systems. Therefore recognizing this new phenomenon and the appropriate legal and technical methods to prevent it is consistent with achieving the passive defense which is an undeniable necessity these days.