VANCOUVER — British Columbia is attempting to crack down on money laundering at casinos with help from the province's anti-gang police agency.
Finance Minister Mike de Jong says 22 officers with the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit will now be dedicated to investigating groups that use gaming facilites to legalize the proceeds of crime.
He says investigators will work with the B.C. Lottery Corp. and the Gaming Policy Enforcement Branch.
De Jong says suspicious currency transactions tracked last July led to the creation of a unit that would focus on illegal gaming.
He says the government's anti-money laundering strategy involves promoting the use of cash alternatives such as debits cards though some cultures have a propensity to enter casinos with vast sums of money.
The police agency's chief officer Kevin Hackett says they'll target high-level, violent crime groups that launder money through illegal gaming.
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