UK Money Laundering Arrests Highest Among Young Adults, Wales 2026

Key Points

• Arrests for money laundering have largely comprised adults below 30 years, a recent analysis reveals.
• During the period January 2020 to January 2025, 8,956 adults below the age of 30 were arrested for money laundering under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.
• This research, undertaken by researchers from Cardiff University and University of the West of England, is the first analysis to identify the extent of money laundering offenses within the UK.
• There have been 14,493 arrests made of individuals involved in money laundering offences which resulted in 7,735 prosecutions during this period.
• Officials have revealed that there is vulnerability amongst students, including international students, to be recruited as money mules.
• Currently, higher educational establishments are not included within the Money Laundering Regulations, thus making reporting to the National Crime Agency difficult.
• Amongst other regions, Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Leicestershire are regional hotspots based on data collected by 36 police forces.
• Campaigners and senior police officers urge for strict regulation of universities and national strategy for money muling among youths.

Cardiff (Wales Times) September 04, 2026 – Young adults are now the largest group arrested for money laundering offences in the UK, according to a new study that draws on data from dozens of police forces and interviews with senior law enforcement officials. The research, led by academics at Cardiff University and the University of the West of England, reveals that people under the age of 30 make up the majority of recorded arrests, highlighting concerns over the recruitment of students and other young people as money mules.

How Many Young People Have Been Arrested for Money Laundering?

The study obtained figures from 36 police forces in England and Wales through Freedom of Information Act requests, covering the period from January 2020 to January 2025. According to the analysis, 8,956 adults under 30 were arrested for money laundering offences under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 during that five-year window. Across all age groups, there were 14,493 recorded money laundering arrests, which resulted in 7,735 charges.

Ministry of Justice data cited in the report shows that, in the same period, 108 children and 420 young adults aged 18–24 were convicted of money laundering offences. While the study could not identify precisely how many cases involved students, law enforcement sources told researchers that students are seen as particularly susceptible to exploitation.

Why Are Under-30s the Largest Group in Money Laundering Arrests?

Professor Nicholas Ryder, study lead and Professor of Law at Cardiff University’s School of Law and Politics, said:

“This study is the first to reveal the number of money laundering offences, which collectively include arrests and, charges, being recorded by police forces across the UK. Adults under 30 make up the largest proportion of arrests and our interviews with law enforcement officials suggests this is due to younger people being increasingly recruited as money mules.”

Money mules are individuals who transfer the proceeds of crime on behalf of criminals, often using bank accounts, to disguise the source of funds and complicate investigations by law enforcement agencies. Anonymous interviews and surveys with Regional Organised Crime Units and City of London Police indicate that students, particularly international students, are viewed as especially vulnerable to recruitment. Factors cited include financial hardship, manipulation and limited awareness of the risks.

Which Regions Record the Most Money Laundering Arrests?

The analysis found significant regional variation in the number of arrests, with activity concentrated in a small number of police force areas. At the highest end, Greater Manchester recorded 570 arrests for section 327 offences, followed by Merseyside with 566 and Leicestershire with 485. The Metropolitan Police recorded 404 arrests, while Devon & Cornwall had 327, Kent 214 and West Yorkshire 200.

Dr Samantha Mapston, co-author of the report and senior lecturer at Bristol Law School, University of the West of England, said:

“This project demonstrates that money laundering enforcement more generally is concentrated, uneven, and resource-driven. Interviews reveal that the criminal justice system performs better in responding to simpler cases, while complex financial crime remains challenging.”

She added that the findings highlight the need for greater consistency, capability, coordination and allocation of resources across jurisdictions in tackling money laundering, including in educational settings.

Are Universities Regulated for Money Laundering?

The report notes that higher education institutions are not included in the Money Laundering Regulations, which require certain organisations to report suspicions of money laundering and terrorist financing to the UK Financial Intelligence Unit at the National Crime Agency. Academics argue that, without being subject to this legal framework, the information being shared with law enforcement agencies is limited.

Professor Ryder said:

“Significant efforts are therefore being undertaken by these teams to prevent and respond to offences involving students. But, despite this being a clear area of concern, the involvement of universities in alerting authorities to suspected money laundering is often perceived to be out of scope of the existing anti-money laundering legal framework.”

He warned that law enforcement responses therefore concentrate on the involvement of individuals rather than institutions, meaning the bigger picture relating to sophisticated criminal networks is potentially being lost.

The 2025 National Risk Assessment by the Home Office and HM Treasury concluded that schools and universities represent an emerging vulnerability for money laundering because of their global reach, financial flows and comparatively weaker regulatory oversight. The UK Fraud Strategy recognises that money mule networks are central to laundering fraud proceeds and stresses the importance of educating students.

What Are Campaigners and Police Leaders Calling For?

Susan Hawley, Executive Director of Spotlight on Corruption, said: “This research shows once again how important it is that the UK government reviews the scope of who is regulated for money laundering, and particularly how the education sector can be brought under tighter supervision. We urge the government to bring forward proposals on this in the early part of the Autumn for consultation. It is essential that students who may be vulnerable to being cash mules are adequately protected and informed and that universities play their role in doing this.”

Nik Adams, Deputy Commissioner at City of London Police and National Coordinator for Economic and Cyber Crime, said:

“We welcome this important report and its recommendations, which highlight the need for a more coordinated and consistent approach to tackling money laundering and money mule activity, particularly among young people.”

He added:

“The findings reinforce the importance of prevention, partnership working and investment in specialist capability. We support the call for a national strategy, stronger collaboration between law enforcement, educational institutions and the financial sector, improved data sharing, and greater resources to tackle financial crime effectively.”

Jordan Coates, Fraud and Cyber Supervisor at the South-West Regional Organised Crime Unit, said the report’s findings feed into work to provide clear, age-appropriate education from Key Stage 2 through to Key Stage 5, equipping children and young people with the knowledge to recognise unsafe contact and spot warning signs of exploitation. Brian Collins, Economic Protection Officer from the North-East Regional Organised Crime Unit, said: “Money muling is a complex and layered form of organised crime and our police work closely with schools, universities and colleges to try and ensure that vulnerable members of the public are educated on the topic and understand the risks of becoming a money mule.” He added: “Some believe money muling to be a victimless crime, however this is not the case. By helping these criminal gangs launder money, you’re helping fund things like drug and firearm distribution, human trafficking, child exploitation and other incredibly harmful crimes.”

Background to the Development

The Cardiff University and University of the West of England study is the first to systematically map the scale of money laundering offences across the UK using police data and law enforcement interviews. It builds on earlier warnings in the 2025 National Risk Assessment that schools and universities are emerging vulnerabilities in the anti-money laundering landscape. The research comes amid a wider surge in money mule activity: fraud prevention body Cifas reported a 69% rise in UK money mule cases in the first half of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025, with more than 13,000 recordings to the National Fraud Database. People aged 21–30 accounted for 40% of those cases and saw a 73% increase, according to Cifas analysis cited by AML Intelligence.

Prediction: How This Development Could Affect Young Adults and Universities

If current trends continue, young adults—particularly students—are likely to face intensified scrutiny from banks, universities and law enforcement as potential money mules. For the under-30 demographic, this could mean stricter account monitoring, more frequent freezes on suspicious transactions and greater pressure to prove the legitimacy of funds. Universities may come under growing pressure to implement internal anti-money laundering controls, even before any change in the law, to protect students and limit institutional risk. For young people, the practical effect could be more mandatory financial-crime education, tighter rules on student accounts and a higher threshold for being drawn into criminal networks unknowingly—if prevention efforts succeed.