There were more than 1,000 ‘suspicious activity reports’, according to the Money Laundering Reporting Office Switzerland (MROS) in 2010.
This was an increase of 29% on the previous year, which MROS said was in keeping with a trend over recent years for a rise in suspected money laundering cases.
The sums involved totaled CHF847m, a decline on 2009’s figure of CHF1.8bn.
What were described as two complex cases related to banking that “generated a large number” of reports were attributed to the rise in suspected illegal activity.
One banking case involved assets of almost CHF19m, according to MROS. It also appears that many of the reports were well-founded, with the information in 86% of cases being sent to what were termed prosecution authorities. In the banking sector, the figures rose to more than 90%.
A 2009 Swiss legislative change that granted apparent immunity from criminal and civil liability to financial intermediaries was cited by MROS as a likely reason for the growing number of reports.
