Countering the Legalization of Proceeds from Drug Trafficking in the Context of Digital Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan
Yerkenov B. Bimoldanov Y. Saitbekov A.
1 June 2025Cambridge University Press
International Annals of Criminology
2025#63Issue 2365 - 382 pp.
This study examines how to counter the legalization of proceeds from illicit drug trafficking in the context of Kazakhstan’s digitalizing economy. It analyses industry reports and applies Walker’s gravity formula and a related conceptual model. Such proceeds account for 2 to 5% of annual gross domestic profit globally, highlighting a serious economic issue. In Kazakhstan, this problem is intensified by the country’s location on major drug trafficking routes and insufficient alignment of its financial sector with international standards for monitoring financial transactions. The risks are worsened by the anonymity and speed of digital tools, which hinder the detection and blocking of suspicious activity. Criminals exploit digital technologies-such as debit cards, peer-to-peer platforms and privacy coins-to launder illicit funds. To combat this, the study recommends using big-data analytics to detect risks, machine learning to respond to them, international cooperation to establish transaction standards, and continuous monitoring to ensure compliance. Implementing these measures will require multi-sectoral reforms and coordinated efforts across public administration.
accountability , corruption , drugs , financial sector , large-number analytics , laundering , transaction transparency , Walker’s conceptual model
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Almaty Academy, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Almaty, Kazakhstan
Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Astana, Kazakhstan
Almaty Academy
Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan
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