London has long had the dubious reputation of being the world’s money laundering capital and it looks like it’s a title it is likely to retain for some time yet.

The fact the city and the U.K. are major money laundering centers should be no surprise: criminals and kleptocrats will always aim to funnel dirty funds where money flows are greatest. But the scale of the activity is shocking. Unfortunately, experts are unconvinced that the situation will change quickly.

Neil Hodge is a freelance business journalist and photographer based in Nottingham, United Kingdom. He writes on insurance and risk management, corporate governance, internal audit, compliance, and legal...