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People have long been drawn to Vancouver’s idyllic coastal mountain setting. The region’s strong civil liberties and stable economy convince many of them to stay, and Vancouver has thrived with its diverse set of residents.

But the city has also become a haven for illicit capital flight and money laundering, drawing a host of criminal organizations with links to China, Mexico and Iran.

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For more than a decade, authorities in B.C. have tried to staunch the flow of dirty money through the province, but as recent reports commissioned by the B.C. government reveal, the efforts have largely failed.

Buyers from high-risk laundering jurisdictions continue to pour tens of millions of dollars into Vancouver real estate under laws that make it easy to conceal sources of cash and the identity of true owners.

Casinos and luxury car dealers still receive large amounts of cash in small denominations. And a host of other players, from money lenders to builders, abet laundering by dealing in large cash sums.