The United Kingdom (UK) has intensified its crackdown on dirty money by targeting the illicit gold trade and imposing a sanction on Kamlesh Pattni.
Consequently, five individuals, including Kamlesh Pattni, a British-Kenyan businessman notorious for his role in smuggling gold and laundering money have been sanctioned.
The UK government has imposed an asset freeze on Pattni, his wife, and his brother-in-law, effectively preventing them from accessing any funds or resources within the UK.
According to the UK government, the trade is a lucrative network that fuels corruption, undermines the rule of law, and perpetuates human rights abuses such as child labour.
“The government has also pledged to bring forward an ambitious, government-wide anti-corruption strategy in 2025, which will draw on expertise from across government, law enforcement, private sector, civil society, and academia,
“To develop a single UK response to tackling corruption, and ensure that this is reflected in the UK’s diplomatic engagement around the world,” a statement from the UK government read in part.
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Details of the UK Sanction Against Kamlesh Pattni
The sanction also extends to a travel ban, prohibiting them from entering or residing in the UK.
Additionally, others have been barred from providing the individuals with financial support.
Pattni was implicated in Kenya’s infamous Goldenberg scandal of the 1990s and has long been linked to corrupt practices and the exportation of illicit gold from southern Africa.
Pattni’s operations have reportedly facilitated significant money laundering activities, enabling networks like Russia’s to evade international sanctions and finance destabilizing activities, including the war in Ukraine.
The illicit gold trade serves as a lifeline for such operations, providing funds that undermine global security and exacerbate organized crime.
The UK’s sanctions, enacted under the Global Anti-Corruption Sanctions Regulations 2021, aim to disrupt these operations and send a strong message against corruption.
They form part of a broader effort by the UK government to combat international corruption, with a government-wide anti-corruption strategy slated for release in 2025.
Also Read: UK Ignores US-Issued Security Alert on Kenya
Russian Money Laundering
The sanctions against Pattni coincide with the National Crime Agency’s (NCA) recent Operation Destabilise, which exposed Russian money laundering networks tied to serious global crime.
The operation highlighted the devastating impact of dirty money on international security, underscoring the importance of decisive action.
Pattni’s designation is part of a larger crackdown that includes other individuals involved in smuggling and trading illicit gold, such as Alain Goetz, ‘a Belgian gold trader linked to mines controlled by armed groups in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Anto Joseph, a gold trader connected to Russian operations.
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