Environmental Crime and Money Laundering in Australia

Environmental crime, driven by profit motives, leads to the accumulation of illicit gains. Despite the original intention of the global anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing (AML/CTF) framework after the September 11 attacks, its application in addressing environmental crime presents a logical progression for nations confronting transnational and organized environmental offenses. This chapter explores the international and Australian perspectives on comprehending and investigating environmental crime, and how these intersect with AML/CTF practices. It provides a broad overview of Australia’s risk profile as both a source and destination for the proceeds of environmental crime. Furthermore, it focuses on recent instances of waste trafficking and water-related crime in Australia. These two categories of environmental crime have garnered law enforcement attention and public scrutiny within the country.