

450: Frank Maderal | The Dirty Money Behind Illicit Gold Smuggling
Dec 22, 2020
Frank Maderal, a litigator featured on Netflix's Dirty Money, dives into the shadowy world of illicit gold smuggling. He reveals why gold is a magnet for criminal enterprises and discusses its devastating impact on the environment and communities. Maderal breaks down money laundering techniques and the challenges law enforcement faces in tracking this dirty money. He explains how even legitimate gold traders can inadvertently get involved in illegal activities, painting a grim picture of the gold trade's ethical complexities.
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Gold Laundering Scale
- $3.6 billion is substantial, but insignificant within the international gold trade.
- Billions worth of gold cross US borders annually.
Gold's Criminal Appeal
- Gold is ideal for money laundering due to its fungibility and untraceability.
- Melting and mixing gold obscures its origins, making source identification virtually impossible.
Gold Aggregators
- Global firms meet gold demand by buying from aggregators, obscuring sources.
- The term "aggregator" provides little information about a gold's origin.