LONDON: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said that the UK would intensify pressure on “criminal elites trying to launder money on UK soil”, as the government announced amendments to its Economic Crime Bill with the aim of speeding up the process of imposing sanctions on oligarchs linked with Vladimir Putin’s regime in Russia.

The latest changes will allow the UK to align its sanctions package with other western allies, including the US and EU, through an urgent designation procedure. The amendments would remove the test of “appropriateness” for designations, enabling the UK to swiftly act against groups of individuals, foreign media reported on Saturday.

The move comes as the UK prime minister faced growing criticism over the pace of sanctions against individuals. The UK has issued restrictions on 12 oligarchs, while the EU has imposed sanctions on more than 25. The legislation, which aims to crack down on the flow of illicit finance within the UK, includes the creation of a register of overseas entities to improve transparency within the property market and will strengthen unexplained wealth orders and the powers of the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation.