Factors arousing suspicion
The Money Laundering Reporting Office Switzerland’s (MROS) annual report contains information about the factors arousing suspicion which lead to Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs). In 2016, 34% of the reports were based on information from the media, including data collections such as KYC records, which contain consolidated data from the media and internet (government websites). In the 2012 annual report (p.10), the MROS indicates that “the financial intermediary may submit a SAR [...] on account of a suspicion based on probability, doubt or a sense of unease about entering into a business relationship.”
The number of reports submitted voluntarily has risen continuously since 2010, and increased noticeably from 2013, after the MROS clarified its position in its 2012 annual report. We can therefore conclude that information from the media has become more important. The annual reports do not indicate whether the rate at which reports are being passed on to the criminal authorities has also risen.
