MONEY LAUNDERING METHODS BY ORGANIZED CRIMINAL GROUPS IN SWEDEN : A CRIME SCRIPT AND BEHAVIORAL SEQUENCE ANALYSIS OF COURT MATERIALS

Sammanfattning

In Sweden, the criminal economy has increasingly become an area of focus when trying to combat organized crime, particularly due to financial gain being the driving force behind many different criminal activities. Money laundering methods continue to be of importance for these criminal groups to secure their future standing by helping them conceal, use and reintegrate their earnings into both the legal and illegal economy. In this paper, a combination of both a crime script analysis and behavioral sequence analysis approach is used to analyze eleven different court cases involving money laundering offenses. Rational choice theory and situational crime prevention are both used for the theoretical framework and to offer a broader understanding of subsequent results. The aim is to identify dominant money laundering pathways, their operational functions, as well as their weaknesses. Results reveal dominant pathway sequences, risks and rewards embedded within money laundering methods, and possible exposure points where interventions may be targeted. The main money laundering script analyzed shows a non-linear and cyclical nature within money laundering methods. In addition, three levels of abstraction are presented: the protoscript offers a generalized understanding of the four crime script stages; the crime script delves deeper into the common methods characterizing each stage; and the track-specific script focuses on the requirements needed to perform money laundering methods. The discussion section follows the structure of the research questions and will define possible strategies for intervention. Additionally, it will also focus on comparing the current results to previous research findings. To conclude, methodological strengths and limitations are discussed.