News and Blogs

Few customers but plenty of cash?: North Korean restaurants remain open in Laos. Analysts suspect money laundering

Read here: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/9/11/few-customers-but-plenty-of-cash-n-korean-restaurants-remain-open-in-laos

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Whistleblower Rui Pinto Given Four-Year Suspended Sentence In Football Leaks Trial Amid Ongoing Legal Woes

Read here: https://www.icij.org/investigations/luanda-leaks/whistleblower-rui-pinto-given-four-year-suspended-sentence-in-football-leaks-trial-amid-ongoing-legal-woes/

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OCCRP’s New Podcast Shines a Bright Light into the Dark World of International Crime and Corruption

Read here: https://www.occrp.org/en/40-press-releases/presss-releases/18025-occrps-new-podcast-shines-a-bright-light-into-the-dark-world-of-international-crime-and-corruption

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Colombia sets new coca cultivation record, UN report finds

Read here: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/9/11/colombia-sets-new-coca-cultivation-record-un-report-finds

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Residents fear a rise in crime and taxes as Birmingham in UK declares ‘bankruptcy’

Read here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-66777536

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Fake drugs, real impact: Western Asia’s counterfeit medicine epidemic

Read here: https://globalinitiative.net/analysis/western-asia-counterfeit-medicine/

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Chinese academic raided by Australian police and offered $2,000 for information during trip

Read here: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/sep/10/chinese-academic-raided-asio-afp

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Russian Businessman Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison in $93 Million Hack-to-Trade Conspiracy

Read here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/pr/russian-businessman-sentenced-nine-years-prison-93-million-hack-trade-conspiracy

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Olam Denies Allegations of Fraud in Nigeria

Read here: https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/olam-denies-allegations-fraud-nigeria-032750963.html

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UK Home Affairs Committee launches inquiry into fraud

Read here: https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/83/home-affairs-committee/news/197427/home-affairs-committee-launches-inquiry-into-fraud/

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Chile: Human Trafficking Rings Dismantled in Massive Operation

Read here: https://www.occrp.org/en/daily/18017-chile-human-trafficking-rings-dismantled-in-massive-operation

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Son of previously most wanted criminal in the Netherlands arrested in Dubai

Read here: https://nltimes.nl/2023/09/11/ridouan-taghis-son-arrested-dubai-report

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New Europol report shines light on multi-billion euro underground criminal economy

Read here: https://www.europol.europa.eu/media-press/newsroom/news/new-europol-report-shines-light-multi-billion-euro-underground-criminal-economy

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Methamphetamine trafficking in and around Afghanistan expanding rapidly as heroin trade slows

Read here: https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/press/releases/2023/September/unodc_-methamphetamine-trafficking-in-and-around-afghanistan-expanding-rapidly-as-heroin-trade-slows.html Link to report: https://www.unodc.org/documents/data-and-analysis/briefs/Methamphetamine_Manufacture_in_Afghanistan.pdf

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Revealed: Sugar attempted to dodge £186m tax bill

Read here: https://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2023-09-09/revealed-lord-alan-sugar-attempted-to-dodge-186m-tax-bill

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Visa Research Highlights Emerging Fraud Schemes in Retail and eCommerce

Read here: https://investor.visa.com/news/news-details/2023/Visa-Research-Highlights-Emerging-Fraud-Schemes-in-Retail-and-eCommerce/default.aspx

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All that glitters: Revelation from a Kenyan gold smuggler

Read here: https://globalinitiative.net/analysis/kenya-gold-smuggling/ Link to report: https://globalinitiative.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/All-that-glitters-Revelations-from-a-Kenyan-gold-smuggler-GI-TOC-September-2023.pdf

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UK issues guidance on third country processed iron and steel measures in relation to Russia sanctions

Read here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/notice-to-importers-2953-russia-import-sanctions/guidance-on-third-country-processed-iron-and-steel-measures

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Madagascan president’s ex-aide pleads not guilty to bribery in London

Read here: https://news.yahoo.com/madagascan-presidents-ex-aide-pleads-120114012.html

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Is the EU’s new tool against sanctions evasion unusable?

Read here: https://www.euractiv.com/section/global-europe/opinion/is-the-eus-new-tool-against-sanctions-evasion-unusable/

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Five Men Charged with Using New York Diamond District Companies as Fronts to Illegally Move More Than $600 Million

Read here:https://www.justice.gov/usao-nj/pr/five-men-charged-using-new-york-diamond-district-companies-fronts-illegally-move-more

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Multiple Foreign Nationals Charged in Connection with Trickbot Malware and Conti Ransomware Conspiracies

Read here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndoh/pr/multiple-foreign-nationals-charged-connection-trickbot-malware-and-conti-ransomware

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How has INTERPOL’s role in the fight against organised crime evolved?

Read here: https://www.euronews.com/2023/09/08/how-has-interpols-role-in-the-fight-against-organised-crime-evolved

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Final two U.S. based defendants in Amazon bribery case sentenced

Read here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdwa/pr/final-two-us-based-defendants-amazon-bribery-case-sentenced

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Economic crime is big business – and it’s your money they’re using

Read here: https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/hsbc-money-laundering-economic-crime-b2407848.html

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Criminals and oligarchs are hiding wealth in secretive Dutch foundations, new investigation finds

Read here: https://www.icij.org/investigations/pandora-papers/criminals-and-oligarchs-are-hiding-wealth-in-secretive-dutch-foundations-new-investigation-finds/

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FinCEN Issues Alert on Prevalent Virtual Currency Investment Scam Commonly Known as “Pig Butchering”

Read here: https://www.fincen.gov/news/news-releases/fincen-issues-alert-prevalent-virtual-currency-investment-scam-commonly-known Link to advisory: https://www.fincen.gov/sites/default/files/shared/FinCEN_Alert_Pig_Butchering_FINAL_508c.pdf

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3M’s Recent Bribery Violations a “Very Common Practice” in Business, Expert Says

Read here: https://www.occrp.org/en/daily/18006-3m-s-recent-bribery-violations-a-very-common-practice-in-business-expert-says

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FinCEN Analysis Reveals Trends and Patterns in Suspicious Activity Potentially Tied to Evasion of Russia-Related Export Controls

Read here: https://www.fincen.gov/news/news-releases/fincen-analysis-reveals-trends-and-patterns-suspicious-activity-potentially-tied

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UK Parliament removes money laundering from new ‘failure to prevent’ offence

Read here: https://www.step.org/industry-news/uk-parliament-removes-money-laundering-new-failure-prevent-offence

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Founder of Purported Artificial Intelligence-Driven Hedge Fund Charged With Defrauding Clients

Read here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-edny/pr/founder-purported-artificial-intelligence-driven-hedge-fund-charged-defrauding-clients

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Readout of Russian Elites, Proxies, and Oligarchs (REPO) Task Force Deputies Meeting

Read here: https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/readout-russian-elites-proxies-and-oligarchs-repo-task-force-deputies-meeting-0

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Felony convictions vacated for 4 former Navy officers in sprawling ‘Fat Leonard’ bribery scandal

Read here: https://apnews.com/article/navy-officers-convictions-vacated-bribery-scandal-4091c6696072221cfe3d38f91318d571

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Justice Department Announces First Criminal Resolution Involving the Illicit Sale and Transport of Iranian Oil in Violation of U.S. Sanctions

Read here: https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-first-criminal-resolution-involving-illicit-sale-and-transport

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UK sanctions members of Russian cybercrime gang

Read here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-sanctions-members-of-russian-cybercrime-gang

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Guatemala Ex-President Pleads Guilty in Graft Case Amid Shifting Corruption Climate

Read here: https://insightcrime.org/news/guatemala-ex-president-pleads-guilty-corruption/

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YouTuber And Auto Key Card Manufacturer Sentenced To Five Years In Prison For Transferring Unregistered Machinegun Conversion Devices

Read here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/pr/youtuber-and-auto-key-card-manufacturer-sentenced-five-years-prison-transferring

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Russian Billionaires Fail to Escape EU Sanctions

Read here: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-09-06/billionaires-timchenko-and-pumpyansky-fail-to-evade-eu-sanctions

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UK universities still taking cash payments for fees ‘is money laundering risk’

Read here: https://www.theguardian.com/education/2023/sep/07/uk-universities-still-taking-cash-payments-for-fees-is-money-laundering-risk Link to paper: https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/160289/3/Criminal%20Law%20Review%20%281%29.pdf

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Singapore seizes money launderer’s assets in Swiss banks in S$1.8 billion case

Read here: https://sg.finance.yahoo.com/news/singapore-seizes-money-launderers-assets-101554914.html

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