According to various news reports, US law enforcement first became aware of New York Governor Elliot Spitzer because of suspicious financial transactions, and not because they were already monitoring the escort service Emperor’s Club VIP.
First, from ABC News:
The federal investigation of a New York prostitution ring was triggered by Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s suspicious money transfers, [...]

Due to the impact of the Lichtenstein tax evasion case, the European Union is set to revamp its laws and practices to crack down on loopholes.
From the IHT:
Jolted by the Lichtenstein tax scandal, European countries on Tuesday took the first steps toward enacting a fresh clamp down on tax havens on their doorstep.
Under pressure from [...]

The Wall Street Journal reports on the cocaine boom taking place in Europe.  As revenues increase due to the selling of cocaine, drug traffickers are handling more and more cash in Euros.
To wash it, the traffickers must take various steps to clean up its tracks.
From the Wall Street Journal:

The first step is to convert [...]

Corrupt leaders in developing countries and transitioning countries skim up to $40 billion a year from the public.
The World Bank and the United Nations announced Monday that they were setting up a system to help developing nations recover assets stolen and sent abroad by corrupt leaders that amount to an estimated $40 billion a year.
According [...]