Number of money laundering prosecutions and convictions: FOI release

Information requested

1. The total number of money laundering prosecutions and convictions in EACH of the last five financial years (up to and including March 31, 2025).

2. The total number of terrorist finance prosecutions and convictions in EACH of the last five financial years (up to and including March 31, 2025).

3. The number of money laundering convictions secured where the proceeds had been generated by offences committed abroad in EACH of the last five financial years (up to and including March 31, 2025).

4. Any known instances in which foreign money laundering convictions had been secured in instances in which the proceeds generating activity took place in the UK in EACH of the last five financial years (up to and including March 31, 2025).

5. The number of instances in which the Scottish courts have given effect to foreign confiscation orders, and their value in EACH of the last five financial years (up to and including March 31, 2025).

6. The number of restraint orders secured as the result of foreign requests, and their value in EACH of the last five financial years (up to and including March 31, 2025).

7. The number of UK requests for the enforcement of our confiscation orders by foreign states, the results of such requests and the total value confiscated as a consequence in EACH of the last five financial years (up to and including March 31, 2025).

8. The number of UK requests for the freezing and seizure of assets abroad and the outcome of such requests in EACH of the last five financial years (up to and including March 31, 2025).

9. The total number of requests made by the UK to foreign states and territories for mutual assistance in money laundering and terrorist finance cases, and the outcome of such requests in EACH of the last five financial years (up to and including March 31, 2025).

Response

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide some of the information you have requested because an exemption(s) under section(s) s.17 (information not held) of FOISA applies to that information. The reasons why that exemption(s) applies are explained below.

Regarding part 1 and 2 of your request, the total number of money laundering prosecutions and convictions and the total number of terrorist finance prosecutions and convictions in the last 5 financial years have been extracted from the management information used to publish the Journey times in the Scottish Criminal Justice System interactive dashboard (Source: Journey times in the Scottish Criminal Justice System interactive dashboard).

We have counted any accused prosecuted or convicted by charges corresponding to these crimes:

• Other criminal conduct, money laundering related offences Drugs, money laundering relate offences
• ​​​​​​​Charges corresponding to Part 7 (sections 327 to 340) of Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 that covers money laundering
• ​​​​​​​Terrorism, money laundering related offences

​​​​​​​Table 1 and 2 show the number of accused prosecuted and convicted for money laundering related crimes from 01 April 2020 to 31 March 2025 by financial year and, answers part 1 of your request. Row 4 (Terrorism, money laundering related offences) in tables 1 and 2 answers part 2 of your request.

​​​​​​​Table 1: Number of people prosecuted for money laundering related crimes 2020-21 to 2024-25.

	Number of accused prosecuted1,2
Crimes	2020-21	2021-22	2022-23	2023-24	2024-25
Other criminal conduct, money laundering related offences	0	0	0	0	0
Drugs, money laundering relate offences	0	0	2	0	0
Proceeds of crime3	27	62	95	92	79
Terrorism, money laundering related offences	1	77	52	83	16
Total number of accused	28	139	149	175	95

Source: Dataset for Journey times in the Scottish Criminal Justice System interactive dashboard

1. If there are multiple accused in a case they will be counted separately.
2. If a person appears in more than one case per year then they will be counted more than once.
3. Only charges corresponding to Part 7 (sections 327 to 340)

​​​​​​​Table 2: Number of people convicted for money laundering related crimes 2020-21 to 2024-25.

	Number of accused convicted1,2
Crimes	2020-21	2021-22	2022-23	2023-24	2024-25
Other criminal conduct, money laundering related offences	0	0	0	0	0
Drugs, money laundering relate offences	0	0	0	0	0
Proceeds of crime	16	40	55	43	35
Terrorism, money laundering related offences	0	1	1	48	5
Total number of accused	16	41	56	91	40

Source: Dataset for Journey times in the Scottish Criminal Justice System interactive dashboard

1. If there are multiple accused in a case they will be counted separately.
2. If a person appears in more than one case per year then they will be counted more than once.
3. Only charges corresponding to Part 7 (sections 327 to 340)

The Scottish Government does not hold information relating to where the offences took place and other jurisdictions. Therefore we are not able to answer parts 3 to 9 of your request.​​​​​​​

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at https://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.