CASH Kings

The world's criminals, it appears, kept the global financial systems from collapse. As credit dried up in 2008 the gangsters were the only available source of liquid cash and it duly flowed into the system where it was laundered, ironed and re-born crisp clean money. A mere $352 billion. The UN Office on Drugs and Crime pretty much admitted that the story is accurate and estimates suggest the world's criminal economy makes up about a fifth of all transactions. It is the stuff of spy novels. Read more about it here.