23rd Parliamentary Intelligence-Security Forum – Illicit Finance
Mr. Mariano Federici, Senior Managing Director at K2 Integrity and former Head of Argentina’s Financial Intelligence Unit, addressed global financial integrity and illicit finance, focusing on Russia sanctions, corruption, and cryptocurrency. He highlighted Russia as a threat not only to global financial systems but also to democratic stability, noting that sanctions are effective only when combined with intelligence-sharing, diplomatic isolation, and support for Ukraine. On corruption, he emphasized its destabilizing effects on economies, public services, and law enforcement, warning that systemic corruption in autocracies and weakened democracies threatens global security. Regarding cryptocurrency, Federici stressed that virtual assets offer benefits but pose risks if unregulated, leaving them vulnerable to criminal exploitation; he advocated implementing international standards to enhance transparency and integrate crypto with traditional finance. Finally, he underscored the critical role of public-private and private-to-private partnerships in combating financial crime, citing preventive measures such as customer due diligence, PEP monitoring, and beneficial ownership verification, and highlighted his firm’s collaboration with TRN Labs to strengthen anti-crime efforts in the crypto space.
