ADB-Led “Enhanced STR” Pilot Delivers Transformative Results

In a landmark effort to combat Trade-Based Money Laundering (TBML), the Asian Development Bank (ADB), in partnership with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), has achieved significant strides in tackling this area of global financial crime. TBML, which exploits trade systems to launder illicit funds, has long undermined global trade transparency and economic stability. Through a pilot program conducted over an 18-month period from January 2022 to June 2023 in five countries—Bangladesh, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka— ADB delivered transformative results in identifying and preventing TBML activities.