When reviewing money laundering procedures, which stage must be taken into consideration?

The correct choice, integration, is a crucial stage in the money laundering process, where the "cleaned" illicit funds are reintroduced into the legitimate economy after the initial illegal gains have undergone placement and layering. At this stage, laundered money can be used in a way that obscures its illegal origin, making it difficult for authorities to trace back to criminal activity.

Understanding the integration phase is vital for reviewing money laundering procedures, as it helps financial institutions and regulatory bodies identify and mitigate the risks associated with the final step of the laundering cycle. By assessing how funds are integrated, organizations can better implement monitoring systems that detect unusual financial activities that may signal potential money laundering.

The other stages—placement and layering—are also significant in the overall money laundering process, but integration specifically involves recognizing when the funds have effectively become part of the legitimate financial system, which is a step that might be less obvious and thus requires attention for a comprehensive evaluation of money laundering procedures. Withdrawal is not a standard term associated with the stages of money laundering and does not pertain to the key phases discussed.