Key developments include:
➡️ Increased SAR Volumes: The UKFIU received 896,414 SARs in 2025–26, a 3% increase from the previous year, with banking and financial services continuing to account for the largest proportion of submissions;
➡️ Record Asset Denial: The Defence Against Money Laundering (DAML) regime enabled £440.8m in asset denial, a 15% increase year-on-year, bringing the total value of assets denied over the past three years to £1.06bn;
➡️ Reduced DAML Reporting: DAML submissions fell by 23% to 44,553, primarily following the July 2025 increase in reporting thresholds from £1,000 to £3,000, supporting a more risk-based approach focused on higher-risk intelligence;
➡️ Stronger Asset Recovery Outcomes: Refused DAMLs increased by 20% to 3,943, while Account Freezing Orders (AFOs), forfeitures and restraints obtained through DAMLs rose by 23% to 2,519;
➡️ Terrorist Financing: Defence Against Terrorist Financing #DATF requests increased by 28% to 509, ;
➡️ Emerging Financial Crime Threats: UKFIU analysis focused on organised immigration crime, cash-based money laundering, informal value transfer systems, Chinese underground banking, child sexual abuse (CSA), money laundering relating to heroine, and citizen by investment (CBI);
➡️ International Cooperation: The UKFIU received 1,655 international requests, with fraud and money laundering accounting for 42% and 37% of inbound requests respectively; and
➡️ Technology and Reporting Quality: The UKFIU continued improving its SARs Digital Service (SDS) to enhance the management, analysis and secure sharing of financial intelligence, targeting full adoption by the end of 2026–27.
✅ UK-based firms should review the typologies highlighted within the report and consider whether they should be included in their ongoing typology and threat assessments.
💡Plenitude supports clients with typology coverage assessments, and horizon scanning for established and emerging typologies, enabling them to identify and respond effectively to evolving risks and trends. Visit our website for more information: https://www.plenitudeconsulting.com/