KLEPTOTRACE: two years of analysis, tool development and training against sanction evasion schemes
Overview of project outputs
Sophisticated evasion schemes, inadequate compliance protocols, and jurisdictional loopholes continue to undermine the effectiveness of European Union and international sanctions. To counter these threats, the EU-funded KLEPTOTRACE project, led by Transcrime, has developed innovative tools, in-depth analyses, and advanced expertise designed to enhance the investigative capabilities of authorities, law enforcement, financial institutions, and businesses across Europe.
- What is KLEPTOTRACE:
The KLEPTOTRACE project aimed to strengthen the EU’s asset recovery and sanctions tracing capacity in the fight against transnational high-level corruption and kleptocracy. To achieve these objectives, we analysed the related recurrent illicit schemes in their transnational dimension and developed an advanced data-driven toolbox. This, also to provide tailored training for public and private actors and policy recommendations to counter these risks.
Explore the project website for a detailed overview or browse the leaflet for a concise summary.
- Final conference at Europol HQ:
The event, organised by Transcrime with the support of Europol, brought together law enforcement agencies, financial intelligence units, asset recovery offices, anti-corruption and competition authorities from 27 European countries, to discuss the state of play in sanctions enforcement and present the project’s main outputs.
The main results of our research are summarised in the event’s press release.
- Public reports:
• Schemes employed to circumvent sanctions (available here)
• New forms and risk factors of transnational high-level corruption schemes (available here)
• Report on the limitations of the current EU and national sanction regimes (available here)
• Legal and policy recommendations on EU and national sanction regime (available here)
• Entity Extraction from High-Level Corruption Schemes via Large Language Models (available here)
- KLEPTOTRACE toolbox:
The research insights produced by KLEPTOTRACE enabled the development of an advanced tool for investigating high-risk entities and tracing illicit assets linked to sanctions evasion and high-level corruption. Interested EU competent authorities are invited to contact us: transcrime@unicatt.it
- KLEPTOTRACE training sessions:
Throughout the project, public authorities, banks, and businesses from around the world have benefited from five high-level training sessions delivered by KLEPTOTRACE partners. These sessions featured contributions from industry experts, researchers, financial professionals, investigative journalists, and law enforcement officers. The recordings are listed below, from most to least recent.
5. Final training at Europol and toolbox demo
[Restricted]
4. Early-detection of high-level corruption schemes as part of EU banks’ AML/CFT due diligence
3. Using public sources to fight kleptocracy and boost asset transparency
2. How to trace complex forms of ownership and control of assets related to ‘kleptocrats’ and sanctioned entities
1. Legal bases and instruments for sanctioning and asset recovery of transnational high-level corruption
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