Honestly, the longer you delve into the world of financial crimes, the more you realize how complex and multi-layered the system is. Money laundering is not just a single process — it's an entire architecture that evolves alongside financial systems.

The main idea: criminals earn income from illegal activities and need to somehow make these funds "clean" so they can be used without suspicion. The Basel Committee on Banking Supervision describes this as moving funds through the financial system to hide their source and ownership links.

The process is usually divided into three main stages. First is placement — when large amounts of cash (for example, from street drug sales) need to be introduced into the system. Criminals convert small bills into securities, jewelry, or deposit them into a bank. This is the riskiest part because large cash amounts are easily detected.

Next is layering — the most intricate part. Here, money goes through a series of transactions across different accounts, companies, even countries. The goal is to break the link between the original source and the current owner. They use fictitious trade operations, anonymous accounts, offshore centers. The more complex the chain, the harder it is to trace the origin.

The third stage is integration. Funds that have already passed through the labyrinth of transactions are reintroduced into the legitimate economy. They appear as income from legal businesses, investments in real estate, or purchases of companies.

Regarding specific methods — there is an enormous variety. A classic approach: splitting a large sum into many small deposits below reporting thresholds (known as structuring). Casinos are used — depositing money, exchanging it for chips, then cashing out to get a "win." They operate through industries with high cash usage — restaurants, entertainment venues, gold shops.

Real estate schemes are also very popular. Front persons buy apartments or houses at undervalued prices (50-70% of market value), pay in cash, then quickly resell for a 50-100% profit. It looks like regular speculation.

Trade is actively used too. Overstating import prices or understating export prices, transferring the difference to foreign accounts. They create fictitious companies for foreign investments, use underground banks. I remember a story from 2001 in Hong Kong — a network was uncovered with a turnover of 50 billion Hong Kong dollars through a branch of a major bank.

Antiques, jewelry, art objects — all of these are ideal. They buy low, sell high, and transfer the difference to the target account. No one can dispute the valuation of an antique painting or a rare piece of jewelry.

Less known are methods involving traveler's checks — they don’t have the same restrictions as cash when crossing borders. Or funds — creating a charitable organization, transferring money there as donations, then distributing it among accounts in different countries under various charitable names.

Fake loans also work. Someone holds a promissory note issued by another with deferred repayment. If discovered, it’s just a credit relationship. When the wave subsides, the promissory note is transferred to a third party or deposited in a bank.

Currency manipulations via current accounts — depositing small amounts of money, then withdrawing foreign currency abroad. This is called "ants moving bricks." Often combined with fake accounts, of which the owner is unaware.

Money laundering is a constantly evolving practice. With the advent of the internet, online banking, online casinos, and even online games are used for laundering. Now there’s increasing talk about cryptocurrencies as a method — due to anonymity, borderless transactions, and difficulty in tracking.

Of course, regulators and law enforcement are also not sleeping. But as long as financial systems remain complex and global, new methods will emerge. That’s why understanding how it works is essential — it’s the foundation for effective protection.