The Mozambican Attorney-General’s Office (PGR) on Wednesday warned that organised crime is rapidly adapting to legislative changes through the use of technology and complex corporate structures, and called for the continued upholding of the recommendations that secured the country’s removal from the FATF’s grey list.
“Criminal groups adapt quickly to legislative changes, make use of technological innovation, employ complex corporate structures and are constantly seeking new ways to circumvent control mechanisms,” warned Deputy Attorney-General Taibo Mucobora.
He was speaking in Maputo at the opening of a seminar on strategies to combat money laundering, the financing of terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, organised by the Central Office for Combating Organised and Transnational Crime (GCCCOT).
He said it is necessary to ensure compliance with the recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), which enabled the country to be removed from the international ‘grey list’ on money laundering, arguing that these should not be viewed merely as an international imposition.
Mucobora stated that compliance with these recommendations “must be upheld as a means of protecting the economy (…), strengthening public institutions, promoting investor confidence and defending the strategic interests” of Mozambique.
“An effective system for preventing and combating money laundering protects the integrity of the financial system, hinders the infiltration of organised crime into the economy, strengthens international confidence (…) and creates better conditions for investment and sustainable development,” he added.
Mozambique was removed from the FATF’s grey list on 24 October 2025, after three years, but the authorities continue to stress the need to sustain the reforms.
For the Attorney General’s Office, effectively combating organised crime requires cooperation, coordination, institutional trust and the timely sharing of information, arguing that only coordinated action by the State can curb these crimes.
Mucobora argued that the fight against money laundering does not begin with the arrest of official suspects nor does it end in the courts, but rather when financial institutions are familiar with their customers’ profiles and are able to identify transactions that are inconsistent with those profiles.
“Following the money trail remains one of the most effective strategies for dismantling criminal networks, recovering assets, protecting the legitimate economy and demonstrating that crime does not pay,” he said.
He acknowledged that Mozambique is living in an era in which transnational organised crime has become «extraordinarily sophisticated», with criminal organisations no longer operating solely through traditional illicit activities.
He explained that these groups move financial resources, use seemingly legitimate companies, exploit virtual assets, capitalise on the vulnerabilities of global markets and operate through complex international networks to conceal the true origin of their proceeds, calling for greater attention to be paid to the crime of money laundering, as it allows the proceeds of criminal activities to be transformed into seemingly lawful wealth.
“The fight against money laundering cannot be viewed merely as a financial issue. It is a matter of justice, national security, good governance, economic stability, the protection of democratic institutions and the defence of the rule of law,” he stated.
This year, Mozambique approved a new strategy to combat money laundering up to 2030, which aims to ensure the sustainability of the financial prevention system and prevent the country from being placed back on the international ‘grey list’, by consolidating reforms and strengthening the fight against financial crime.
Source: Lusa
