Anti-Money Laundering laws protect us from the illegal transfer (or laundering) of money. You might have heard the term "money laundering," which refers to disguising or changing the origins of cash that is obtained illegally by transferring or passing it through a usual, legitimate channel. These transactions are generally legitimate, so they would not be flagged. The original owner of the funds could use them for other purposes.

AML targets crimes like trading of illegal goods, public office corruption and tax evasion, etc. It explicitly deals with the methods used to hide these crimes as well as the money obtained from them.

Financial organizations play a key role in fighting money laundering. If you can cut intelligence and prevent criminals from successfully moving the proceeds of these illegal transactions, then they won't be as motivated to commit those crimes. This is to combat fraud and illegal activity, so that the financial institution can maintain a safe environment for all of their customers.