For those wondering what I mean by laulau, I am talking about the unprecedented show-off. The unnecessary loudness. The compulsive flaunting. The extravagant display of wealth that appears to have no ceiling, &, sometimes, no discernible explanation.
But there is a question that the uninitiated inevitably asks whenever the staggering figures associated with the illicit drug trade begin to emerge: Where does all that money actually go?
Billions. Hundreds of millions. Amounts so colossal that, after hearing them, you simply sit back & wonder how any human being can possibly control such money without completely losing perspective.
Because let us be honest: very few people can suddenly find themselves in control of an obscene mountain of cash & remain psychologically untouched by it.
Money of that magnitude does something to the mind. It changes your sense of proportion. It changes your appetite. It changes your idea of luxury. It changes the people around you. And eventually, for some, it changes the very definition of what they consider normal.
So we ask again: Where does the dirty money go? And why call it dirty? Not because the money itself has a colour.
But because of its source. Money generated by criminal activity carries a problem that ordinary legitimate wealth does not: It needs an explanation.
And that is where the story becomes considerably more interesting. Because the really sophisticated operator does not necessarily walk around with a suitcase of cash. He needs something much more valuable than a hiding place.
He needs a story. A legitimate-looking explanation for illegitimate wealth.
A business. An investment. A property portfolio. A luxury enterprise. A respectable public identity. Something that makes people stop asking: “Where did this money come from?”
And start asking: “How successful is his business?” That seemingly tiny shift in the question can be worth billions.
And once you understand that, you begin to understand the extraordinary laulau. But that is only the beginning.
Because the 1st place the money often wants to go is somewhere much more respectable than the person who generated it.
TO BE CONTINUED…
