Money Laundering Stages
Money laundering stages are the episode’s explanation of how illicit funds move from visible crime proceeds toward funds that look usable, explainable, or legitimate. EP44 摸摸口袋，里面的钱居然是脏的？ uses the common three-part model: placement, layering, and integration.
Key Claims
- Placement is the first entry point into the financial system, such as splitting cash or transfers across accounts instead of depositing one conspicuous amount.
- Layering obscures origin and control through multiple accounts, banks, shell transactions, false contracts, cross-border transfers, market trades, or other complex chains.
- Integration is the later stage where funds re-enter daily economic life as apparently legitimate business, investment, gambling, art, entertainment, or overseas income.
- The stages are analytical, not a recipe: the episode repeatedly stresses that real laundering chains combine channels and carry criminal and account-freezing risk.
- Anti-Money Laundering monitoring looks for mismatches among source, account history, transaction path, asset purchase, and stated purpose across these stages.
Connections
- Anti-Money Laundering — compliance frame for detecting and interrupting the stages.
- Account Misuse Risk — personal accounts can be used during placement and early layering.
- Banking KYC Compliance — source-of-funds and transaction-profile checks.
- Cross-Border Fund Transfer Risk — offshore and false-trade routes add layering complexity.
- Underground Money Transfer Risk — informal exchange platforms can hide counterparties.
- Virtual Asset AML Risk — virtual assets can be one layer in a broader chain.