More than 8,900 people aged under 30 were arrested for money laundering offences in England and Wales between 2020 and 2025, data shows. An analysis of police records also points to organised crime groups targeting young people, including students, to move criminal funds as “money mules”. Money mules receive or transfer criminal money for others, sometimes for payment. They may not know where the funds came from or understand that moving the money is a criminal offence. Between January 2020 and January 2025, 14,493 money laundering arrests were recorded across 36 police forces in England and Wales. Of those arrests, 8,956 involved people aged 18 to 29, and a further 776 under-18s were recorded by 35 forces. Police say recruitment can exploit young people’s vulnerability, including financial pressure, inexperience with managing money, and a lack of awareness of the legal risks. International students are viewed as especially at risk, with officers describing messaging about money laundering arriving soon after students land in the UK. Investigators also report online recruitment tactics and fake job advertisements that promise easy income in exchange for using personal bank accounts to transfer funds. The analysis found money laundering arrests were concentrated in some of the largest urban areas, while other locations show different levels of recorded activity, possibly due to variations in organised crime, financial activity and how forces record offences. Police interviewees raised concerns about resources and specialist expertise, and said economic crime can be sidelined by competing priorities. They also described uneven relationships with universities, with local partnerships depending on individual contacts rather than a consistent national approach. The report highlights that universities are not currently covered by the UK’s money laundering regulations in the same way as regulated sectors such as banks, lawyers and accountants, leaving information and responsibilities less clear. The latest status is investigation and analysis based on police data, with no specific arrests, charges or court outcomes identified in the supplied information.