While B.C.’s Attorney General said he was shocked to find no federally funded policing resources dealing with money laundering in the province this not news to the Solicitor General.

There are apparently no federally funded dedicated police officers working on money laundering in B.C. according to a sneak peek at the 2nd phase money laundering report by Peter German.

This did not come as a shock to Solicitor General Mike Farnworth.

“It is something we have been aware of and in fact have been raising with the federal government, the federal minister Bill Blair, for some time now. There needs to be a greater focus by the federal government at the national level on the issue of money laundering. They need to get on with it.”

Farnworth who has created separate provincial authorities for illegal cannabis operations and nuisance homes was asked if it is time for the province to do the same for money laundering.

“I think right now we are working with the federal government. I am pleased with the cooperation that I have seen from the Feds. I think it is a combination of what we can do here in B.C, which we are moving in a number of areas. At the same time with the federal government, who does have a responsibility in a number of these areas, to keep that pressure on and say look this is serious you have to be far more involved than you have been in the past.”

He says is “cautiously encouraged” from the responses so far from the federal government that they will mount a much more serious response to massive amounts of money laundering in B.C.