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TD Bank is facing a Justice Department investigation into its internal controls, specifically regarding how Chinese crime groups and drug traffickers used the bank to launder money from U.S. fentanyl sales. The investigation was launched after an operation in New York and New Jersey uncovered the laundering of hundreds of millions of dollars through TD and other banks. Prosecutors allege that the criminals also bribed TD employees. TD Bank has been under scrutiny for its anti-money-laundering practices for years and is currently the subject of three other investigations. The bank has set aside $450 million to resolve one of the inquiries and expects additional penalties. The issues have already affected TD's expansion plans, as regulators' concerns over suspicious customer transactions scuttled a $13.4 billion deal last year. TD Bank is cooperating with law enforcement officials and regulators and is working to strengthen its anti-money-laundering program. The investigation into TD's practices is led by the U.S. Attorney's Office in New Jersey and is part of a broader effort to counter the threat posed by fentanyl and the networks of Chinese money-brokers used to launder proceeds from Mexican cartels. The U.S. government relies on banks to help detect and prevent money laundering, and the Bank Secrecy Act requires financial-services companies to report suspicious activity. [Extracted from the article]