The scale of the alleged money- laundering through Scotland dwarfs anything seen here before.  The £4bn figure – $5bn at current exchange rates – is the equivalent to nearly £1,000 for every adult in the country or our entire annual whisky exports.  Politicians now fear the sheer volume of dirty money flushing through Scottish shell firms – entities that only exist on paper and are registered at modest flats or high street mail drops – could do lasting damage to the country.

Green MSP and campaigner Andy Wightman said: “This kind of corruption undermines democracy and the rule of law and undermines Scotland’s reputation as a place to do business.   “Ultimately the price is paid by the poorest and most vulnerable citizens of the countries affected through loss of public revenue and lack of trust in government.”

The scale of Scotland’s role in the Laundromat was calculated by The Herald using data provided by the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, or OCCRP,  a not-for-profit group that has led the investigation into the scheme.

Working with journalists and investigators across Eastern Europe, including Moscow’s independent Novaya Gazeta newspaper, the OCCRP has exposed how $20bn (£16bn) was syphoned out of Russia between 2010 and 2014.  However, investigators believe the actual sum laundered through the entire Laundromat may be even bigger, perhaps $80bn, which is about one-third of the size of Scotland’s total annual GDP.  The latest Laundromat revelations come amid growing anger in Russia where thousands took to the streets over the weekend to protest against corruption they believe is crippling public services and political life.

Britain – and especially London’s property and financial markets – is believed to be one of the main final destinations for such dirty money.