CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION OF MONEY LAUNDERING AT THE REAL ESTATE MARKET

Abstract

The real estate market is attractive for investment property gains obtained illegally with the aim of making it legitimate. Namely, the possibility of paying real estate with cash of dubious origin, the use of shell companies and trusts to create complicated ownership structures are just some of the methods of money laundering in the real estate market. The aim of this paper is to present the measures and actions taken during the criminal investigation of money laundering. Special attention is paid to financial investigations, which is an important means of detecting and proving illegally acquired property. For the purposes of this research, a semi-structured interview was conducted with authorised official person employed in law enforcement agencies in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The results of the research indicate that during the criminal investigation of money laundering on the real estate market, quality evidence was collected by taking actions aimed at obtaining evidence and special investigative actions. The conclusions derived from this research indicate the importance of cooperation between police bodies, prosecutors, and other entities, with the necessary engagement of experts and timely obtaining of data on financial transactions by banks and other legal entities.