The September 23rd "Asset Search News Roundup" first discusses the importance of international cooperation, especially when assets are concealed by money laundering in multiple jurisdictions. It then mentions how U.S. and Chinese authorities cooperated to recover cultural relics including dinosaur fossils from as early as 100 million years ago.
+An offshore asset search can sometimes require the use of letters rogatory or the other formal methods of international cooperation listed in "Eliciting Evidence From Foreign Bank Witnesses". This kind of international cooperation is an essential element in the fight against money laundering in multiple jurisdictions.
This is of course recognized by Mr. Paul Vlaanderen, who is the president of the leading transnational anti-money laundering organization, the Financial Action Task Force. As Mr. Vlaanderen stated during his August 21, 2009 speech in Lesotho: "Some jurisdictions expose us all to unacceptable risk by failing to implement effective AML/CFT [anti-money laundering / counter-terrorist financing] systems".
++Ten days ago, U.S. officials turned over to China cultural relics including the partial dinosaur skull pictured below. Some of these relics were from as early as 100 million years ago. As reported by "US turns over seized prehistoric relics to China", the relics were contraband and had been recovered because of U.S.- Chinese cooperation. The Ministry of Land and Resources in China had apparently sought the relics which had been interdicted in Richmond, Virginia and at the Chicago O’Hare International Mail Facility.
(To Enlarge, Click On The Photo)
Photo: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Copyright 2009 Fred L. Abrams