MP Ian Austin calls for tough sanctions on foreign crooks

Ian Austin has urged the government to clamp down on some of the world's most dangerous and violent criminals from using Britain as a place to stash their cash.

The Dudley North MP has joined forces with a cross-party group of parliamentarians to demand the hardest possible sanctions on those who are responsible for corruption or brutality abroad.

The MPs say that many dangerous criminals launder their funds in the UK due to its lax laws.

Mr Austin helped lead the campaign for the Magnitsky Act in Parliament, which called for the imposition of sanctions on people who commit gross human rights violations or large-scale corruption in other countries.

However, the Government has yet to implement the sanctions against those responsible for theft or brutality abroad.

Mr Austin said: “London must not be the destination for money stolen by corrupt or brutal gangsters in countries like Russia.

"I want the Government to take much tougher action against crooks and criminal gangsters who have looted their own countries and think they can live a life of luxury in London.

“Brexit must not be used as an excuse to weaken our stance on human rights issues.

"It’s imperative that the tough sanctions we campaigned for are implemented to protect the country’s national security interests."

The Magnitsky Act was named after Sergei Magnitsky, a Russian lawyer and accountant who died in a Moscow prison cell in 2009 after threatening to expose a huge tax fraud said to have been committed by corrupt Russian government officials.

Those responsible have never been brought to justice.

His death triggered inquiries into allegations of fraud, theft, and human rights violations in Russia.

Mr Austin is among MPs to have called for an EU-wide crackdown on money laundering.