It has long been believed that the most effective way to immobilise organised criminal activity lies in blocking the channels that allow illegally-obtained assets to enter the economic mainstream. Yet even as international law enforcement co-operation in this vital endeavour becomes ever more focused, the bewildering domain of criminal money laundering techniques remains elusive. The "gross national product" of international crime still exceeds that of many nations. A main aim of this new book is to marry what we know of laundering channels and methods on the one hand and existing legal regimes (both preventive and reactive) on the other. Although major victories on the side of law and order are not numerous so far, the author clearly demonstrates that progress is being made in certain areas and that the overall thrust of international law and cooperation in the field is growing stronger. She goes on to identify a number of linkages between criminal necessities and potential legal measures that are likely to bear fruit. It is the author's belief that the insights gained by this in-depth comparison will shed light on the paths to be followed by law enforcement agents and judicial tribunals as they pursue their goal of stemming the flow of laundered illegal money into the world's economies.