This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: The majority of money laundering arrests involve people under 30, a new analysis has found. The study, from academics at Cardiff University and the University of the West of England, is the first to reveal the scale of money laundering offenses across the UK.
Figures recorded by 36 police forces in England and Wales were obtained through Freedom of Information Act requests. The data and analysis reveal that 8,956 adults under 30 were arrested for money laundering offenses under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 between January 2020 and January 2025. Across all age categories, there were 14,493 recorded money laundering arrests, resulting in 7,735 charges.
Anonymous interviews and surveys with Regional Organised Crime Units and City of London Police reveal that students, particularly international students, are considered particularly vulnerable to recruitment as money mules. Money mules are individuals who transfer the proceeds of crime on behalf of criminals, often through a bank account, to disguise the source of the funds and complicate or frustrate investigations by law enforcement agencies. The research highlights that higher education institutions are not included in the Money Laundering Regulations, which require organizations to report suspicions of money laundering and terrorist financing to the UK Financial Intelligence Unit at the National Crime Agency.
Without being subject to this legal framework, the information shared with law enforcement agencies is limited, academics say. Study lead Nicholas Ryder, a professor at Cardiff University's School of Law and Politics, said, "This study is the first to reveal the number of money laundering offenses, which collectively include arrests and charges, being recorded by police forces across the UK. Adults under 30 make up the largest proportion of arrests, and our interviews with law enforcement officials suggest this is due to younger people increasingly being recruited as money mules." "While it was not possible to identify the number of cases that involve students, there is a clear view among police officers that students are particularly susceptible due to factors such as financial hardship, manipulation and limited awareness," Ryder said.
"Significant efforts are therefore being undertaken by these teams to prevent and respond to offenses involving students. "But despite this being a clear area of concern, the involvement of universities in alerting authorities to suspected money laundering is often perceived to be outside the scope of the existing anti-money laundering legal framework. "Law enforcement responses therefore concentrate on the involvement of individuals rather than institutions.
The bigger picture relating to these sophisticated criminal networks is potentially being lost," Ryder said. While the analysis suggests offenses are most common among people ages 18–29, people over 30 represent a substantial but secondary group. Under-18 involvement is less frequent across all forces.
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