The Swiss Money Laundering Report Office (MROS) once again had considerably more work in the past year. A total of 15,141 SARs were submitted, according to its annual report – an increase of around 28 percent.

This growth is in line with the long-term average; in 2022, the MROS even reported a 56 percent increase.

Banks remain the primary source of SARs, accounting for 92.3 percent of all reports. The long-term average (2015-2024) for the banking sector is 90.1 percent.

Overall Increase in Reporting Activity

In the goAML information system, a total of 27,901 entries were recorded in 2024 – an increase of nearly 30 percent compared to the previous year. Since the system's launch in 2020, reporting volume has nearly tripled.

On average, MROS received 107 reports per working day. These include SARs, responses from financial intermediaries to MROS inquiries, termination notifications, international requests from Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs), spontaneous disclosures, as well as queries and responses from national and international authorities, along with court verdicts from law enforcement agencies.

1,043 Referrals to Prosecutors

The number of referrals to law enforcement authorities rose by approximately 20 percent to 1,043. These referrals are accompanied by analytical reports containing relevant information. Such reports may be based on multiple SARs that are not necessarily submitted in the same year and may include data from various domestic and foreign authorities.

Suspicious activity reports accounted for approximately 55 percent of all entries in the past year. Ten years ago, this proportion was over 90 percent.

MROS cites the sharp increase in cooperative activity with national authorities and international couterparts as a major driver of this trend. This reflects a growing tendency among authorities to engage in cross-border information exchange and conduct external investigations.

Swiss FIPPP Active Since November

A major milestone was the official launch of the «Swiss Financial Intelligence Public Private Partnership» (Swiss FIPPP) in November 2024. It comprises 12 financial institutions and MROS. According to the report, this move «places the Swiss financial center on par with other international finance hubs that already have such public-private cooperation frameworks.

The MROS is also increasingly focused on crypto and virtual assets. In this rapidly evolving segment, collaboration between regulators and the industry is crucial. In October 2024, MROS hosted a dedicated crypto symposium to address the topic.