In 2024, the World Customs Organization (WCO), in partnership with the Egmont Group of Financial Intelligence Units and INTERPOL, led a global crackdown on money laundering and terrorist financing under Project TENTACLE. Conducted across five key regions-Eastern Europe, West Africa, the Asia-Pacific, South America, and the Mediterranea -these operations marked a significant step forward in the global fight against financial crime, delivering substantial enforcement results and systemic regulatory reforms.
Customs, FIUs, and police agencies from 39 WCO Members joined the 2024 WCO-led AML/CTF operations, including Argentina, Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chile, Colombia, Congo (Republic of the), Cyprus, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ecuador, Fiji, Greece, Guyana, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Korea (Republic of), Kosovo, Liberia, Maldives, Malta, Montenegro, Nepal, New Zealand, North Macedonia (Republic of), Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Serbia, Singapore, Spain, Suriname, and Uruguay.
These WCO-led AML/CTF operations resulted in the seizure of over USD 267 million in illicit assets, including undeclared cash, gold, precious metals, gemstones, and mis-invoiced goods linked to trade-based money laundering (TBML). Authorities intercepted USD 84.12 million in undeclared currency and USD 85.4 million in mis-invoiced goods, dismantling sophisticated financial crime networks. Operational teams confiscated 858.73 kg of gold, 39 kg of rhodium, and 1,733 tonnes of other precious metals, revealing the increasing use of high-value commodities to circumvent financial controls. Further interdictions led to the seizure of 45.82 tonnes of mixed narcotics, 97 tonnes of precursor chemicals, 45,258 small arms, and 23.5 tonnes of explosives, underscoring the strong links between illicit financial flows and transnational organized crime.
Authorities arrested 267 individuals, including cash couriers and high-value targets identified as key facilitators within global money laundering networks. Intelligence-sharing mechanisms played a decisive role, resulting in 11 successful cross-border interdictions and seven high-profile arrests. The exchange of 1,338 intelligence reports between agencies enabled 146 joint detections and 167 cross-agency investigations, reinforcing the effectiveness of inter-agency cooperation in combating financial crime.
Beyond enforcement actions, these operations led to significant policy reforms aimed at strengthening national AML/CTF frameworks. Investigations revealed vulnerabilities in cash control regulations and gold importation procedures, prompting several jurisdictions to tighten oversight and close regulatory loopholes previously exploited by criminal networks. These regulatory changes enhance institutional resilience and contribute to a more robust global trade security system.
The 2024 operations reaffirmed the critical role of intelligence-driven enforcement in tackling financial crime. By fostering enhanced cross-border cooperation, real-time intelligence sharing, and coordinated operational responses, the WCO and its partners have significantly weakened transnational money laundering networks. These results underscore the pressing need for continued investment in capacity building, regulatory alignment, and technological innovation to ensure that enforcement agencies remain ahead of evolving financial crime threats.