Nestor Chavez, compliance officer for the Banco Centroamericano de Integración Económica (BCIE) - Central American Bank for Economic Integration - released in Costa Rica, the details of a study conducted of the countries of the region through which it was established that from 2000 to 2009, some us$14 billion dollars was the product of money laundering.
Chavez stressed that while money laundering is generated
through various crimes, drug trafficking is the activity that moves more money
in Central America.
The compliance officer commented that this situation is
worrying because it seems to indicate the growth of organized crime
organizations and drug trafficking in Central America.
Topping the list of countries with the highest level of
money laundering is Costa Rica, followed by Panama and Honduras.
