Daily financial-crime intelligence · Updated 28 Sep 2026, 23:02 UTC
Money laundering
The UK has established a new Football Intelligence Team within the UK Football Policing Unit to investigate how criminals exploit football for financial gain.
Sanctions
Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorate revealed information about fourteen financial institutions and payment systems facilitating Russia's international transactions while circumventing sanctions.
Money laundering
The UAE launched the third cycle of its National Risk Assessment on money laundering, terrorist financing, and weapons proliferation financing on 28 September 2026, during the 15th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in Abu Dhabi.
Money laundering
The UAE has announced a coordinated regional response to combat cross-border fraud and money laundering, which officials say have surged due to Middle Eastern conflicts.
Bribery & corruption
Luis Miguel Martínez Morales ('Miguelito'), an unelected official who accumulated unprecedented power during Alejandro Giammattei's presidency, faces new investigations. The Organized Crime Office conducted 13 simultaneous raids investigating long-standing corruption allegations.
Money laundering
A federal jury in the Middle District of Florida convicted Lazaro Alain Cabrera-Rodriguez, 28, of Hialeah, Florida, on charges of conspiracy to commit alien smuggling for financial gain, conspiracy to commit international money laundering, and conspiracy to commit money laundering concealment.
Colombian National Police arrested five individuals in Operation Thunder II for operating a transnational smuggling network. The criminal organization marketed fake vacation packages to Mexico while illegally trafficking Colombian citizens to the U.S.
Trafficking
A joint operation between Ecuador and the United States resulted in the arrest of more than 30 individuals allegedly involved in international drug trafficking connected to Mexico's Jalisco Cartel.
Trafficking
US Coast Guard conducted three operations between 11-16 September as part of Operation Viper Pacific against maritime drug trafficking in the eastern Pacific. Officers detained 13 individuals across three operations.
FINTRAC imposed a $676,500 administrative monetary penalty on Caisse populaire acadienne ltée (operating as UNI Financial Cooperation), a federally regulated credit union in New Brunswick, for violations of the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act.
Other
Paraguay's National Police detained four individuals in Operation Aurelia, including two Paraguayan women and two men (one Swedish and one Syrian) linked to an international gold smuggling network.
Fraud & scams
Robert Cappelletti, 60, of Middlebury, Connecticut, was indicted on a nine-count federal indictment charging him with five counts of wire fraud and four counts of making illegal monetary transactions.
Bribery & corruption
An Iraqi anti-corruption court sentenced two female MPs to seven years in prison for illicit enrichment and ordered them to repay substantial amounts in unexplained wealth.
Money laundering
A 42-year-old Nicaraguan woman pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy related to a transnational fraud scheme that obtained over $36 million from more than 400 victims, predominantly elderly individuals. The network posed as attorneys promising timeshare compensation.
Money laundering
Guatemala's new anti-money laundering law (Decree 15-2026) entered into force September 17, 2026, establishing unified national protocols against illicit financial flows and terrorism financing.
Other
According to Financial Times investigation reporting, A7, a Kremlin-backed fintech company established in Russia and Kyrgyzstan by Moldovan oligarch Ilan Shor, funneled $6.9 billion through global banking systems using industrial-scale document forgery.
Money laundering
EFG International has reached a final settlement with Kuwait's Public Institution for Social Security (PIFSS), resolving civil proceedings initiated in the United Kingdom.
Other
An FTM investigation based on leaked documents from Curaçao's gaming regulator reveals some 800 owners linked to nearly 650 licensed gambling firms. According to the report, the regulator routinely granted licences without establishing beneficial ownership, including to 1xBet and Stake casino.
Money laundering
A Financial Times investigation revealed that A7, a cryptocurrency company founded by Moldovan oligarch Ilan Șor and a Russian defense bank, circumvented SWIFT sanctions by creating approximately 200 shell companies across multiple countries. These entities conducted $6.
Fraud & scams
Tomás Niembro Concha, 64, a Spanish and Venezuelan national and former chief executive officer of Nodus International Bank, was sentenced on September 21, 2026, to 112 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Niembro led a scheme to fraudulently obtain at least $24.
Fraud & scams
Javier Aguilar, 52-year-old Mexican former Vitol operator, was convicted by a federal jury in Brooklyn for orchestrating international bribery schemes.
Money laundering
The European Public Prosecutor's Office in Milan, Italy announced on Friday 18 September that it had carried out searches and frozen €2.6 million in assets in an investigation into suspected fraud involving funds from the Italian recovery and resilience plan.
Fraud & scams
Javier Aguilar, 52, a Mexican national and former oil trader residing in Houston, Texas, was sentenced on September 21, 2026, to 48 months in prison for leading two international bribery schemes.
Money laundering
The European Public Prosecutor's Office announced on 18 September 2026 that Italian prosecutors froze approximately €2.
Fraud & scams
Turkish authorities dismantled an international fraud network accused of luring investors worldwide with fake foreign exchange and cryptocurrency trading offers, detaining 201 suspects including 9 Israeli nationals and 45 foreign nationals from 20 countries.
Fraud & scams
The article examines sophisticated cross-border fraud operations that exploit the credibility of official institutions. Modern fraudsters operate organized networks using international numbers, shell accounts, and call centers to impersonate law enforcement officers, diplomats, judges and lawyers.
Fraud & scams
Turkish authorities arrested nine Israeli citizens as part of a widespread operation against an international fraud scheme. According to the report, the network allegedly defrauded victims of approximately $266-3 billion USD through fake investment platforms over approximately a decade.
Money laundering
According to a Bellingcat investigation published with The Sunday Times, the UAE cancelled the residence permit of Christy Kinahan on August 31, 2026, following investigative reporting that exposed the visa status of multiple individuals the US Treasury has designated under sanctions.
Fraud & scams
The asset-forfeiture trial for Roxana Baldetti, former Vice President of Guatemala, opened on September 18, 2026. The Public Prosecutor's Office presented 290 pieces of evidence seeking to have 11 assets linked to Baldetti transferred to the State.
Money laundering
Mohamed Sanhadji, logistics and security director for the French national football team, was placed under judicial examination on charges including alleged embezzlement of public funds, active corruption of public officials, active influence trafficking involving public officials, passive influence…
Turkish prosecutors detained 175 individuals in İstanbul and Muğla provinces in four related investigations into a suspected international forex and cryptocurrency fraud network involving money laundering. Nine Israelis were among those arrested. Authorities seized approximately 1.
Fraud & scams
Turkish authorities announced the dismantling of an alleged international investment fraud network that operated from Turkey, with prosecutors alleging it defrauded victims worldwide of more than $3 billion.
Money laundering
In Operation Cobra 2.0-A, 28 people were arrested for alleged fraud at the Dominican National Health Insurance (Senasa). The scheme is estimated to have defrauded approximately $250 million.
Money laundering
Ángel Donald Guerrero Ortiz, former finance minister, and 34 other defendants were brought to trial before the Third Collegiate Court on allegations of administrative corruption and money laundering.
Money laundering
In a collaborative security operation demonstrating international cooperation against organized crime, UAE authorities apprehended a prominent criminal figure sought by Swedish law enforcement.
Fraud & scams
The European Commission published an evaluation report on the European Public Prosecutor's Office five years after its establishment in June 2021, showing investigations increased from 515 to 3,602 cases and frozen assets rose from €147 million to €1.
Money laundering
Javier Aguilar, 52, a former energy trader for Vitol Inc., was sentenced to 48 months in prison for his role in two foreign bribery schemes.
Money laundering
Law enforcement agencies from the UAE and Sweden conducted a coordinated operation targeting an international money laundering network. The operation resulted in the arrest of a gang leader following an Interpol Red Notice, with the criminal organization involved in laundering approximately $7.
Money laundering
A 51-year-old British national, listed among the UK's 12 most wanted fugitives, was arrested in Orihuela, Alicante, Spain. According to an 8.5-year prison sentence issued by UK authorities, the individual is charged with fraud and money laundering offences.
Money laundering
Interpol Colombia arrested eight international fugitives who were wanted by seven different countries. According to reports, the detainees were being sought for crimes including drug trafficking, money laundering, arms trafficking, criminal organization, usury and fraud, among others.
Fraud & scams
Salvadoran authorities arrested two criminal network leaders, Rodolfo Giovanni de León Rivas and Leonardo Eduardo Castillo González, who orchestrated a sophisticated identity theft scheme between January and March 2026. The operation created at least 22 fraudulent digital bank accounts.
Fraud & scams
Cyprus authorities participated in an international investigation led by the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) into alleged VAT fraud involving mobile phone sales across multiple EU jurisdictions.
Money laundering
UAE authorities arrested a Swedish national suspected of leading an international money laundering network in a joint operation with Sweden. The criminal organization allegedly laundered approximately 70 million Swedish kronor (Dh26.
Money laundering
The UAE and Sweden conducted a joint operation resulting in seven arrests targeting an international criminal network that allegedly laundered approximately $7.5 million in illicit funds over a 10-month period.
Fraud & scams
According to OCCRP, British authorities froze a luxury London property worth USD 72 million owned by Zhao Chen, a China-born Cypriot citizen, in connection to her husband Wu An Ming (also known as Hu Xiaowei), who has been sanctioned by both the U.S. and U.K. for alleged ties to the Prince Group.
Short-selling firm Grizzly Research alleged that Raiffeisen Bank International functioned as a key channel for Russian sanctions evasion, enabling over $1 billion in trade including military-related goods.
Fraud & scams
Iraqi authorities successfully retrieved Mohammed Ismat Mohammed Saeed from the United Arab Emirates following an international extradition effort. Saeed, a former cashier at the Trade Ministry's Companies Registration Directorate, had been convicted of stealing approximately 1.
Fraud & scams
The European Public Prosecutor's Office in Cologne conducted simultaneous searches and arrests on 16 September 2026 targeting an alleged criminal organisation suspected of large-scale VAT fraud involving missing traders and shell companies exploiting VAT exemptions for cross-border EU transactions.
Money laundering
Juliet Mora, 42, pleaded guilty on September 14, 2026, to conspiracy to commit money laundering in connection with a transnational fraud network targeting elderly and vulnerable Americans.
Vitol Group paid $75 million to buy out Javier Aguilar, a former trader convicted of corruption charges for conspiring to bribe government officials.
Fraud & scams
An investigation has revealed that Lebanon imported overpriced Russian fuel between 2023 and 2025 with allegedly falsified certificates of origin designed to conceal the sanctioned nature of the shipments.
Trafficking
Europol supported a coordinated law enforcement operation against a transnational criminal network suspected of trafficking horses across Europe using falsified documents and manipulated microchips to conceal the animals' true identities.
Zeng Nenggui, a former poverty alleviation official in Ruijin City, Jiangxi Province, was extradited back to China after an Interpol red notice was issued in January 2026. Zeng is suspected of accepting bribes in connection with poverty alleviation projects and fled overseas in January 2024.
Money laundering
Swiss authorities examined one financial lead in the investigation of former president José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero regarding alleged Venezuelan capital laundering, but found no accounts linked to Kingsfield Consulting Corp at UBS or Crédit Agricole after tracing two banks at the request of Spanish judicial authorities.
Fraud & scams
Amit Madanlal Lakhanpal, principal accused in the Money Trade Coin (MTC) cryptocurrency fraud case, was arrested in the United Arab Emirates on the strength of an Interpol Red Notice sought by Thane City Police in Maharashtra, India.
Bribery & corruption
An investigation is ongoing against Óscar Sánchez Gil, former head of the UDEF (Economic and Financial Crime Unit) of the Madrid Superior Police Headquarters, who allegedly facilitated the entry of at least 73 tonnes of cocaine into Spain between 2020 and 2024, receiving millions in payments.
Money laundering
Spanish National Police dismantled an underground financial network called 'Banca de Dubai' (Dubai Bank) linked to a 2021 cocaine seizure. The operation resulted in 21 arrests across multiple countries and identified €20 million in criminal assets.
Bribery & corruption
Iraq's Federal Integrity Commission announced the arrest of municipal employees in Karbala caught red-handed accepting bribes from a citizen in exchange for permission to complete construction of a house classified on agricultural land.
Money laundering
An international drug trafficking investigation has uncovered a clandestine money-transfer network called 'Dubai Bank' that allegedly provided financial services to major criminal organizations worldwide.
Money laundering
According to Mike Vigil, former DEA International Operations chief, the Sinaloa Cartel and CJNG are the primary criminal organizations using digital currencies to launder drug trafficking profits.
Money laundering
Spanish National Police dismantled a criminal network linked to the "Dubai Bank", described as "the world's most important underground bank" that operated to launder drug trafficking proceeds.
Money laundering
Law enforcement sources reported that representatives of Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office allegedly received approximately US$7,000 per month from each fraudulent call center they protected, according to Ukrainska Pravda.
Money laundering
Eldrich Boedhoe, a Dutch citizen, was captured in Medellín following a joint operation by international agencies. He faced an Interpol warrant for international drug trafficking.
Fraud & scams
The Technical Agency of Criminal Investigation arrested six people accused of operating as financial couriers in a bank fraud scheme. The detainees facilitated bank accounts to receive and transfer USD 21,857 stolen through unauthorized access to computer systems.
Money laundering
Analysis reveals how informal remittance networks (hawala) have adapted to exploit Pakistan's formal Raast instant payment infrastructure without compromising the system's integrity.
Sanctions
The Trump administration announced sanctions against Golden Global Yatirim Bankasi Anonim Sirketi, an Istanbul-based investment bank allegedly established to enable Iran's transfer of oil revenues obtained from China to Turkey, where proceeds could be converted into cash and gold.
Money laundering
The United States Treasury blacklisted Golden Global Bank and two subsidiaries for allegedly facilitating money laundering schemes converting Iranian oil revenue into physical currency and precious metals.
Money laundering
The State Bank of Pakistan clarified that 'the FATF did not designate Raast as a money laundering channel' and that the payment system faced misleading social media reports.
Sanctions
The U.S. Treasury targeted Golden Global and related subsidiaries for allegedly facilitating Iran's access to the international financial system and enabling movement of sanctioned oil revenues.
Luxembourg's Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier (CSSF) imposed an administrative fine of €56,000 on Stonehage Fleming Luxembourg S.A. on 4 September 2026 for failures in sanctions compliance procedures.
Sanctions
The United States Treasury Department designated Golden Global Yatirim Bankasi Anonim Sirketi and two subsidiaries on allegations of facilitating financial transactions for Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force and providing a critical financial lifeline for the Iranian regime.
Sanctions
The U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned Istanbul-based Golden Global Investment Bank, alleging it conducted transactions on behalf of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force.
Money laundering
The Financial Action Task Force and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development released a joint report warning that underground banking networks have become increasingly sophisticated, leveraging virtual assets and fintech platforms to conceal billions in illicit wealth.
Sanctions
Investigation into Ramón Carretero Napolitano, a Panamanian businessman, who allegedly orchestrated an international commercial network exploiting Cuba's severe shortages to generate substantial profits.
Money laundering
A Financial Action Task Force report reveals that traditional underground financial networks are modernizing their operations, with nearly 70 percent of respondents identifying integration of new technologies and a growing shift towards digital hawala utilizing encrypted messaging apps and digital payment systems.
Money laundering
The Secretaría de Gobernación announced a reform to the Federal Gaming and Lotteries Law to combat money laundering and tax evasion in casinos. The Financial Intelligence Unit detected high-risk operations in 13 casinos with cash movements and international flows.
Money laundering
According to alerts from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), criminal networks are modernising money-laundering operations through sophisticated digital channels.
Other
According to a joint FATF and OECD report released in September 2026, hawala and underground financial networks in Pakistan and India are increasingly leveraging virtual assets, encrypted messaging platforms, mobile wallets, and fintech applications.
Sanctions
The UK's National Crime Agency (NCA) and National Economic Crime Centre released an alert regarding the A7 sanctions evasion network, developed collaboratively with OFSI (Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation), FCDO (Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office), and financial sector partners.
Money laundering
The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) released a joint report based on input from over 45 jurisdictions, including Pakistan and India, documenting the evolution of hawala and underground banking networks.
Other
According to DAWN's coverage of the FATF/OECD report, underground banking and hawala operators now employ fintech platforms and virtual assets to conceal billions in illicit wealth.
Money laundering
The Dominican Republic's Public Ministry formally accused nine members of a transnational drug trafficking and money laundering network dismantled in Operation Leopard. The accused are linked to trafficking of almost 1.7 tons of cocaine and financial movements of over RD$258.8 million and USD 1.
Bribery & corruption
According to an ICIJ investigation, enforcement actions against cancer drug manufacturers across 31 countries over 15 years resulted in nearly $1.7 billion in combined settlements and fines between 2010-2025, yet these penalties represent only one-third of 1% of the firms' revenues.
Money laundering
Honduras's National Anti-Corruption Council has criticised the closure of fraud and money laundering charges against former president Juan Orlando Hernández (2014-2022).
Sanctions
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced an escalation of economic sanctions against Iran during the G20 Ministerial meeting, revealing plans for a sustained campaign of financial pressure targeting Iranian banking institutions and entities connected to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Bribery & corruption
Iraq's Prime Minister Ali Al Zaidi ordered the activation of a law that grants financial rewards to corruption whistleblowers, as part of the government's ongoing anti-corruption campaign.
Fraud & scams
Euronews Persian examined 25 significant financial corruption cases spanning recent decades in Iran. According to Transparency International's 2026 report, Iran ranks 153rd among 182 countries in corruption perception.
Sanctions
The UK government announced action to disrupt the A7 network, a Kremlin-linked financial structure used to bypass international sanctions and support Russia's war economy.
Money laundering
Peruvian artist Deysi Araujo has been under investigation for approximately 12 years for alleged money laundering linked to drug trafficking.
According to reporting, Russia actively utilizes Tajikistan to circumvent Western sanctions through several mechanisms: Russian financial institutions use Tajikistan's banking system for cross-border operations, with three Tajik banks facing secondary sanctions for facilitating these transfers.
Bribery & corruption
El Salvador's General Prosecutor's Office arrested José Adrián S., a deputy fiscal, on charges of active bribery (cohecho activo).
A Nicaraguan citizen, Iradia de los Ángeles Campos de Umanzor, was sentenced to eight years in prison by the Second Sentencing Court of San Salvador for tax evasion in the form of income tax evasion. She was ordered to pay $4,296,751.68 plus interest. An Interpol alert was activated.
Trafficking
Spanish Civil Guard and Portuguese National Republican Guard conducted Operation Trident, dismantling a drug trafficking organization.
Other
Senior executives at beverage company BLU and heads of recycling companies face charges in connection with an extensive criminal scheme.
Fraud & scams
A Honduran-American resident of Alabama was arrested at Palmerola International Airport on charges related to a 2012 equipment procurement contract for the Patuca III Hydroelectric Project. Authorities allege purchases were overvalued with respect to contract specifications.
Bribery & corruption
Interpol agents detained hydrocarbon entrepreneur Alejandro Hamlyn in Abu Dhabi on 26 August 2026. He had been evading Spanish justice since May 2025 after failing to return from the UAE. The National High Court had issued a search and capture order.
Fraud & scams
The European Public Prosecutor's Office announced arrests of five individuals in Czechia suspected of leading a criminal VAT fraud scheme.
Fraud & scams
Alejandro Hamlyn, owner of the company Haxx (formerly Hafesa) that manages petroleum storage facilities holding Spain's strategic reserves, was arrested by Interpol in Abu Dhabi after failing to appear for trial.
Money laundering
INTERPOL announced that Operation Jackal IV, running from November 2025 to June 2026, identified 263 suspects and secured 58 arrests across 22 countries on six continents targeting West African organized crime groups involved in cyber-enabled financial fraud.
Sanctions
According to Bellingcat's open-source analysis, the cargo vessel Patria (IMO: 9159921), sanctioned by the US, Ukraine, and Canada, has been making repeated trips between ports in Cameroon and Gabon since March 2026, with anchorages off Lagos, Nigeria.
China's top legislature is reviewing a new draft law that would officially grant authorities power to pursue cross-border corruption cases overseas, according to reporting from August 25, 2026.
Money laundering
Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández faced a court hearing on fraud and money laundering charges. The proceedings continued with expert evidence presentations from prosecution and defence. Prosecutors allege the misappropriation of approximately $10.
Fraud & scams
The U.S. Department of Justice announced the establishment of the National Fraud Detection Center (NFDC), a prosecutor-led, multi-agency team designed to investigate the most harmful actors defrauding federal government programs, including illicit actors overseas and those operating fraud schemes…
Money laundering
Chilean prosecutors formally charged two Venezuelan nationals, Marcos de Jesús Reyes Acosta and Willasander Tejedor Ruiz, in absentia for alleged money laundering connected to the Tren de Aragua criminal organisation.
Other
An Ecuadorian judge ordered preventive detention for ten individuals, including a Chinese national identified as Yang Xiao Long, on suspicion of operating an international extortion network.
Money laundering
Mexico and the United States signed an agreement on August 20, 2026, to strengthen cooperation in financial intelligence and money laundering prevention.
Trafficking
Ecuador's police captured Rubén Bermúdez Loor, 61, a suspect with an Interpol red alert wanted by U.S. authorities on drug trafficking charges.
Sanctions
Asdrúbal José Brito Hernández was appointed to lead Venezuela's National Anti-Extortion and Kidnapping Command (CONAS). This appointment is significant because Brito Hernández has an extensive record of international sanctions and human rights concerns. Both Canada (January 2025) and the U.S.
Portuguese and Spanish law enforcement seized 3.35 tonnes of cocaine, three firearms and two vehicles in Operation Eclipse/Hawara, an international drug trafficking investigation. Three men were arrested.
Other
Two employees of cryptocurrency exchange Binance were temporarily detained at UAE airports by authorities investigating potential financial crimes.
Money laundering
Panama's Banking Superintendent approved new enforcement regulations establishing clearer criteria for sanctioning financial institutions that violate anti-money laundering rules.
Money laundering
Santiago Hazim, former director of Senasa (Dominican Republic's state health insurance administrator), faces charges including official misconduct, bribery, embezzlement, money laundering, and document falsification in a major corruption investigation.
Money laundering
The initial hearing against Juan Orlando Hernández, former president of Honduras, in the case known as Pandora II was rescheduled for August 24, 2026, at 9:30 AM. Hernández faces charges of fraud and money laundering.
Fraud & scams
Authorities are investigating alleged embezzlement using thirteen fraudulent judicial writs (exhortos) attributed to a Choluteca court to execute embargoes against municipal funds. The investigation identified approximately 32,545,791.88 lempiras (approximately $1.
Money laundering
Paraguay delivered to Brazil a Gulfstream G550 private jet valued at approximately USD 28 million linked to an investigation into Brazilian banker Daniel Vorcaro, currently in detention. The aircraft was registered to Viking Participações Ltda.
Federal prosecutors and the Securities and Exchange Commission are investigating whether billionaire Mark Walter and his businesses committed fraud by concealing financial connections while borrowing billions of dollars from insurers he controls, according to Wall Street Journal reporting.
Money laundering
An international criminal network exploiting a vulnerability in a German payment service provider's booking system was dismantled following coordinated raids in Brazil, Spain, and Bulgaria.
Bribery & corruption
Iraqi authorities announced seizure of an additional 25 billion Iraqi dinars, $1 million in cash and five kilograms of gold in the corruption case involving detained Deputy Oil Minister for Refining Affairs Adnan Al-Jumaili.
Bribery & corruption
Iraq's Federal Commission of Integrity confirmed on August 16 the seizure of significant amounts of cash and gold in a corruption investigation targeting the Ministry of Electricity sector as part of Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi's expanding anti-graft campaign.
Money laundering
Prosecutor Betina Lacki charged Albertina Mangini, an official at the Patronato de Liberados in La Plata, who allegedly headed a money laundering network that moved approximately 27 billion pesos through digital wallets.
Bribery & corruption
Iraq's Federal Commission of Integrity arrested Khalid Ghazay Atiya, Deputy Minister of Electricity for Transmission and Distribution Affairs, on suspicion of corruption and financial violations.
Money laundering
Eldar Zarbavel, 45, of Pepper Pike, Ohio, pleaded guilty to money laundering for a transnational criminal organization orchestrating the largest health care fraud case ever prosecuted by the Department of Justice. Zarbavel pleaded guilty to laundering approximately $3.
Other
In the ongoing murder trial of businessman Yorgen Fenech, secret recordings made by confessed middleman Melvin Theuma were played for the jury. According to OCCRP, the recordings allegedly capture Fenech discussing the 2017 car-bomb assassination of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.
Fraud & scams
Colin M. McDonald, Assistant Attorney General of the Department of Justice's newly created National Fraud Enforcement Division, issued a memorandum on August 13, 2026, outlining the Fraud Division's five enforcement priorities: (1) Public Trust and Financial Integrity, (2) Healthcare Fraud, (3)…
Fraud & scams
A federal grand jury indicted 11 defendants in a two-count indictment for orchestrating over 1,000 sham marriages to fraudulently obtain immigration status for foreign nationals, principally citizens of the People's Republic of China.
A federal grand jury in Montgomery returned a second superseding indictment adding a defendant and additional charges in a case involving allegations of wire fraud, false statements, and conspiracy to commit money laundering at the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Money laundering
Spanish police, in collaboration with Dutch authorities, dismantled an international drug trafficking organization operating on Costa del Sol. Five individuals were arrested, including the network's leader described as 'the financial architect of Costa del Sol.'
Money laundering
Spain's Civil Guard dismantled a capital laundering network allegedly linked to the Sánchez Castro brothers. Forty-four people were arrested, with 12 held in custody by judicial order.
Sanctions
Analysis of the Eurasian Economic Union's 47th intergovernmental council meeting held August 7, 2026, concluded with new agreements on easier cross-border e-commerce and exchange brokerage services.
Money laundering
Authorities arrested a 17-year-old gang member nicknamed 'Fantasma' and his mother, Lesly 'N' (38), during an operation in Monjas, Jalapa. Officers seized ten bags of white powder resembling cocaine.
Money laundering
Transparency International U.S. criticized the Treasury Department's final rule implementing the Corporate Transparency Act, stating it exempts over 99% of U.S. companies from beneficial ownership reporting requirements. Scott Greytak, Deputy Executive Director of Transparency International U.S.
Money laundering
The UAE General Secretariat of the National Anti-Money Laundering Committee announced that the UAE issued 173 extradition decisions in 2025 favouring several countries in cases involving money laundering and terrorist financing.
Money laundering
An international money-laundering investigation into the structure and assets of the Dubai-headquartered Kinahan organisation has been launched.
Money laundering
Spanish Civil Guard, in collaboration with Europol, dismantled in Operation 'Omnis' a financial and corporate structure allegedly used by a criminal organization linked to brothers José Carlos Sánchez Castro and Antonio Jesús Sánchez Castro. The investigation alleged the group laundered over €8.
Fraud & scams
The Public Prosecutor's Office presented formal charges and trial opening request against prosecutor Aurelio Valdez Alcántara, alleged to have demanded and received bribes from a witness in the Senasa insurance fraud case.
A federal jury in Atlanta convicted Babajide Adesayo, 41, of Douglasville, Georgia, of all charges including two counts of conspiracy to commit money laundering and sixteen counts of transactional money laundering. Adesayo was part of a transnational network that laundered over $2.
Money laundering
Daniel Kinahan, 49, was extradited from Dubai to Ireland on August 9, 2026, and charged before Dublin's Special Criminal Court with directing a criminal organisation. An Irish Air Corps plane flew him from Dubai to a military airport outside Dublin.
Fraud & scams
Ahmed Abdullah al-Jubouri, former governor of Iraq's Saladin province and widely known as 'Abu Mazen,' was arrested in Baghdad on Saturday, August 8, 2026 on corruption charges.
Fraud & scams
The Baghdad/Karkh Court of Appeal issued two separate arrest and search warrants on Sunday, August 9, 2026, for Ahmed Jassim Saber Al-Asadi, former Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, on charges of public contract fraud and illicit enrichment.
Money laundering
Investigation documents connections between Venezuelan luxury jewellery store Exclusividades Vagú and figures close to Nicolás Maduro.
Sanctions
According to reporting citing Wall Street Journal investigations, Russia's A7 is described as a state-backed payment system that moves money in and out of Russia while defying U.S. and European efforts to isolate Moscow from the global banking system.
Money laundering
Santiago Orrego Gomez and Daniel Mauricio Gomez Garcia, Colombian citizens, were arrested on August 6, 2026, and accused of directing an international money laundering scheme totaling USD 50 million. They face charges of conspiracy to launder assets, electronic fraud, and bank fraud.
Money laundering
The Spanish National Police dismantled a criminal organization dedicated to hashish trafficking and arrested 57 people in Madrid, Guadalajara, Burgos, Almería, Málaga, and Valencia.
Money laundering
The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists published an investigation into Tether, the company behind the USDT crypto token, which ICIJ describes as likely one of the most valuable private companies on earth with an estimated value of $200 billion.
Other
A coordinated international operation led by German Federal Police arrested three High Value Targets—a 26-year-old Syrian in Germany and two Syrian nationals (ages 31 and 32) in Serbia—as part of a crackdown on two international migrant smuggling networks with links to Libya and the Western Balkans.
Fraud & scams
The World Bank Group announced 35-month debarments of Entreprise Babati, a Niger-based construction company, and its owner Babati Sayid Ali Ahmed, for alleged fraudulent practices under the Enhancing Niger Northeastern Connectivity Project.
Fraud & scams
A 44-year-old Venezuelan citizen was detained in Bucaramanga while traveling on an inter-provincial bus bound for Medellín. Authorities confirmed he was wanted by Argentine justice under an Interpol warrant issued by Guarantee Court No. 1 of San Martín for alleged computer fraud.
Other
Follow the Money reports that US data analytics company Palantir Technologies maintained an effective global corporation tax rate of just 1.4% in 2025, paying $22.7 million despite $1.6 billion in pre-tax profit.
Fraud & scams
Selma Brinson, 64, a Memphis-based tax preparer, pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and assisting the preparation of false tax returns. Brinson operated a tax preparation business where she reported false items on clients' tax returns to generate inflated tax refunds.
Bribery & corruption
Haitian citizens reported alleged extortion by Dominican Republic migration agents. According to reports, a Haitian man was robbed of $700 USD during a July 26 home raid, and a domestic worker was reportedly extorted for $15,000 on June 23.
Money laundering
The Rusafa Investigation Court, which specializes in integrity and money-laundering cases, recovered IQD 20 billion ($15.3 million) in a financial and administrative corruption case involving offences including financial fraud.
Money laundering
Honduras' courts ordered former president Juan Orlando Hernández to face trial on money laundering and fraud charges in an ordinary court while free. He is accused of misappropriating more than 62 million lempiras designated for his 2013 presidential campaign.
Fraud & scams
INTERPOL's African Cyberthreat Assessment Report 2026, drawing on survey data from 36 African member countries, found that artificial intelligence is reportedly enabling 55% of cybercrime incidents across the continent.
According to FinCEN, UBS Financial Services Inc. allegedly committed 'willful' Bank Secrecy Act violations including failure to monitor over $10 billion in foreign currency wires and inadequate due diligence on high-risk clients allegedly tied to Russia and Latin America.
Fraud & scams
The Dominican judicial system implemented a new Penal Code that expanded the catalog of crimes and increased penalties. The legislation introduces criminal provisions for femicide, contract killing, genocide, crimes against humanity, and pyramid fraud schemes, as well as cybercrime provisions.
Money laundering
Unknown attackers gained unauthorized digital access to Liechtenstein's Register of Beneficial Owners during the night of July 30, 2026. Hackers stole data from approximately 31,000 legal entities.
Sanctions
Sanctions from the European Union's 21st sanctions package against Russia came into effect on August 25, 2026, targeting the A7 cross-border payments network and related cryptocurrency infrastructure.
Money laundering
According to an investigation by Bellingcat and The Sunday Times, Christopher Kinahan Jr, a sanctioned leader of what the US Treasury describes as a $1.
Ukrainian forces reportedly attacked the container ship Yanina in the Black Sea. According to Ukrainian officials, the vessel was allegedly used to transport oil in violation of international sanctions restrictions and to provide military logistics support.
Bribery & corruption
Guatemala's Prosecutor's Office sought to prosecute two former chief prosecutors, Rafael Curruchiche (who directed FECI, the Special Prosecutor's Office Against Impunity) and Saúl Sánchez (who led the Office Against Crimes Against Cultural Heritage), for alleged serious abuses of authority during their tenures.
Money laundering
Weekly intelligence summary covering financial crime enforcement and regulatory developments from July 27-31, 2026.
Money laundering
Prosecutors accuse former president Juan Orlando Hernández (2014-2022) of participating in a corruption network that facilitated 'the disbursement of over 288 million lempiras' (approximately USD 10.8 million) to two foundations.
Fraud & scams
El Salvador's Prosecutor's Office charged twelve individuals — nine active ANDA (National Water and Sewerage Administration) employees, one former employee and two civilians — with participating in a corruption network between March 2024 and February 2025.
The EU imposed sanctions under the Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime on seven individuals and three entities for serious human rights violations linked to scam center operations in Southeast Asia.
Securities & markets
According to Bellingcat's analysis, football fans wagered more than $14 billion on the FIFA World Cup through prediction markets Polymarket and Kalshi.
Sanctions
On 23 July 2026, the European Union adopted a 21st sanctions package adding 218 new sanctions listings (48 individuals and 170 entities). The package represents a strategic shift from targeting individual companies to tackling wider networks enabling sanctions evasion.
Sanctions
The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control announced sanctions against 10 companies and 7 oil tankers linked to Iran's oil export networks. According to the report, these entities allegedly facilitated oil sales in circumvention of international sanctions restrictions.
Other
A collaborative investigation reveals that Panamanian businessman Ramón Carretero Napolitano controlled the commercialization of Venezuelan state oil through three shell companies registered in Asia. These entities dispatched approximately 47 million barrels valued at USD 2.
Money laundering
Wagner Vallecillo, president of the Honduras Supreme Court, announced that proceedings against former president Juan Orlando Hernández will proceed with judicial independence.
Money laundering
French and German financial regulators (ACPR and BaFin) jointly warned banks to tighten due diligence checks before approving virtual International Bank Account Numbers (vIBANs) for payment service providers, citing high money laundering risk.
Bribery & corruption
Iraqi authorities recovered significant cash assets in a continuing corruption investigation involving the Ministry of Oil, seizing $21 million as part of an intensive anti-corruption campaign known as 'Operation Dawn' ordered by Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi.
Trafficking
Ecuador's authorities arrested National Police officers for their involvement in a fuel trafficking scandal involving illicit diversion of subsidized fuel for black-market resale.
Fraud & scams
An international investigation supported by Europol and Eurojust has dismantled a criminal network operating several call centres in Tirana, Albania that caused at least €50 million in financial losses.
Money laundering
Yaniv Moalem, a fuel trader who fled the country during legal proceedings against him, has been extradited from Panama to Israel following an international manhunt lasting approximately two and a half years.
Fraud & scams
A 25-year-old Mexican citizen was detained in San Pedro Sula for operating an ATM fraud scheme.
Money laundering
Israeli national Yaniv Mualem was extradited from Panama to Israel after nearly two-and-a-half years on the run. He was convicted in what authorities describe as one of Israel's most serious fraud cases, involving hundreds of millions of shekels.
Bribery & corruption
An anti-corruption judge rejected the statute of limitations motion filed by former Bolivian President Luis Arce, requiring him to remain in preventive detention.
Other
Bellingcat and Jeune Afrique verified two drone strikes in Mali villages using geolocation, satellite imagery and expert analysis.
Sanctions
The Insider reported and the EU confirmed sanctions on participants in the A7 cryptocurrency network created in late 2024 by Promsvyazbank and Moldovan oligarch Ilan Shor.
Money laundering
According to Infobea, Colombia's General Prosecutor's Office argued at hearing that the Lili Pink retail chain, owned by Fast Moda S.A.S., functioned as a front for a transnational asset-laundering and textile-smuggling scheme spanning more than a decade, with alleged shell companies in Panama.
Money laundering
The UAE and European Union concluded the ninth structural dialogue on combating money laundering and terrorism financing on July 23, 2026. According to the EU statement, the UAE is described as a 'key security partner' in anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing efforts.
Money laundering
Kuwait's Ministry of Commerce and Industry issued new guidelines for jewellery shops to help identify suspected money laundering activities, according to an official announcement. The guidelines assist businesses in monitoring unusual activities using a risk-based approach.
Bribery & corruption
A San Salvador court ordered trial to begin against Juan Pablo Durán Escobar, former president of Bandesal (El Salvador Development Bank), on charges of illicit negotiations and bribery.
Money laundering
According to Infobea, a trial continues in Dominican Republic against former prosecutor general Jean Alain Rodríguez and others, charged with offences the prosecution describes as administrative corruption, bribery, embezzlement, fraud against the state and asset laundering, allegedly committed during his tenure (2016-2020).
Fraud & scams
An ICIJ investigation documented allegations that Social Discovery Group and its dating platforms AmoLatina, Dating.com, and DateMyAge systematically defrauded users.
Money laundering
Infobea reports that a Colombian judge legalized the capture of Bryan Gardea, a Mexican national detained by Colombia's Policía Nacional at José María Córdova international airport in Rionegro on the basis of an Interpol red notice.
Money laundering
According to Infobae, Brazil's Federal Police dismantled a drug trafficking and money-laundering network and arrested nine people.
According to the report, India's Enforcement Directorate (ED) Goa Zonal Office arrested Dubai-based Indian national Nihal V.N. under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, and a Special PMLA Court in Goa remanded him to seven days' custody until July 28.
Bloomberg reports that Brazilian presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro denied fresh links to the Banco Master SA banking scandal after local outlet Metropoles reported that the law firm in which he is a partner received 500,000 reais (about $98,925) from an accountancy, Contabil Correa, citing an April 2025 invoice.
Money laundering
The UAE and European Union concluded the ninth structural dialogue on combating money laundering and terrorist financing on July 23, 2026, held virtually.
Money laundering
Kuwait's State Security Criminal Court convicted a cross-border money laundering network that used restaurants, taxi companies, and currency exchange businesses to disguise illicit funds before transferring large sums abroad.
Fraud & scams
A federal grand jury in the District of New Hampshire indicted Jinbin Ren, 38, a Chinese national residing in Lynnfield, Massachusetts, on a charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
Money laundering
Jesus Hernandez Ortiz, 38, of Puerto Rico, pleaded guilty in the District of Vermont to conspiracy to illegally bring aliens into the United States and to illegally bringing at least one alien into the country for private financial gain, in what the DOJ describes as a transnational human smuggling and money laundering scheme.
Money laundering
Israeli police and the Tax Authority arrested three suspects in an alleged international money laundering and tax evasion scheme estimated at approximately 500 million shekels.
Money laundering
Colombian businessman and former Venezuelan minister Alex Saab pleaded 'not guilty', through his lawyers, to money laundering and conspiracy charges before a federal court in Miami.
Money laundering
According to Infobea, the High-Risk Court A sentenced Judith Celina Vargas Monroy to six years imprisonment for the crime of illicit association in the Odebrecht case.
Money laundering
Jerusalem District Police and the Israel Tax Authority busted an alleged international financial crime network involving approximately NIS 500 million ($165 million) in suspected fraud and money laundering.
Fraud & scams
Five defendants pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud in a $550,000 South Carolina Department of Corrections bribery scheme, according to prosecutors.
Money laundering
Police and Tax Authority investigators arrested three suspects in an alleged international money laundering operation involving approximately 500 million shekels.
Fraud & scams
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime released a report revealing that victims of transnational online scams across East Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand lost an estimated $88.3 billion to $114.
Other
According to reporting first published by Bloomberg and carried by Insurance Journal, federal prosecutors in Manhattan are investigating potential financial improprieties at two insurance companies linked to billionaire Los Angeles Dodgers owner Mark Walter — Delaware Life Insurance Co.
Fraud & scams
According to the report, the FIA Faisalabad arrested Mian Muhammad Idrees, owner of Stara Group, at Lahore airport while attempting to leave the country in connection with an alleged power procurement fraud case involving approximately 11.
Money laundering
Peru's Public Ministry seized US$142,756 and S/12,378 in virtual assets deposited on Binance and Bybit cryptocurrency platforms as part of an investigation into alleged money laundering.
Money laundering
In Operation Lobo, 14 individuals and companies face charges including bribery, racketeering, fraud against the state, and money laundering related to a corruption network that allegedly distributed approximately RD$108.
Other
According to Transparency International Hungary, the organization filed a complaint with Hungary's Attorney General alleging potential breach of fiduciary duty in the Baross Gábor Capital Programme.
Money laundering
Nepal's Department of Money Laundering Investigation filed charges alleging that Jayabir Deuba, son of former prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, received Rs26 million from businessman Deepak Bhatta's firm Himalayan Asset Management Private Limited into two companies he owns: Scholar International…
Money laundering
Italian authorities ordered the preventive seizure of assets on May 4, 2026, in a money laundering investigation linking Lebanon's IBL Bank to alleged Italian drug trafficker Giacomo Tamburello.
Money laundering
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency announced enforcement actions for July 2026, including a Cease and Desist Order against United Texas Bank, Dallas, Texas, for deficiencies in its Bank Secrecy Act/anti-money laundering (BSA/AML) compliance program, resulting in violations of law or regulation.
Fraud & scams
Authorities issued warnings about a surge in fraud targeting UAE residents during summer.
Fraud & scams
Dutch and Belgian authorities announced they dismantled an international fraud network operating approximately 20 call centers with over 700 employees posing as financial advisors, allegedly generating an estimated €100 million monthly at peak.
According to Bloomberg sources, Russia's wealthiest businesspeople, some with close ties to President Putin, have transferred billions of dollars out of the country over the past year, fearing asset seizure and increased state pressure to finance military operations.
Other
The Compliance Advisor Ombudsman (CAO), the World Bank Group's internal accountability mechanism, found that the International Finance Corporation (IFC) violated its own environmental and social safeguard policies when financing microfinance lenders in Cambodia.
Fraud & scams
Dutch police, working with Belgian authorities and Europol, dismantled a major criminal organisation accused of operating a global investment fraud scheme through dozens of fraudulent call centres. The organisation generated more than €100 million monthly by targeting victims in multiple countries.
According to FINTRAC's July 15, 2026 advisory following the FATF's June 2026 plenary, Canadian reporting entities must treat every transaction tied to North Korea, Iran, or Russia as high-risk. Transactions originating from or bound for Iran must be reported to FINTRAC.
Money laundering
The Economic Criminal Court 1 authorized María Florencia M., a 49-year-old businesswoman investigated in an international money laundering case involving several companies and family members, to travel to Atlanta for the World Cup semifinal against England.
Fraud & scams
Dutch law enforcement, working with Belgian authorities and Europol, dismantled a major criminal network operating approximately 20 call centers staffed by over 700 people engaged in investment fraud.
Money laundering
Brazilian authorities detained ten individuals in Operation Hawala against a network accused of laundering proceeds for three of the country's major criminal organizations (Terceiro Comando Puro, Comando Vermelho and Primeiro Comando da Capital).
Money laundering
The U.S. Department of Justice unsealed an indictment from December 2024 charging three Russian nationals and two companies with operating criminal cyber infrastructure. Alexander Alexandrovich Volosovik (43, St. Petersburg), Kirill Andreevich Zatolokin (34, St.
Fraud & scams
The European Public Prosecutor's Office conducted raids in Greece, exposing a sophisticated VAT carousel fraud scheme operating between 2021 and 2025. The criminal network operated across Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, and Greece, exploiting VAT exemptions on cross-border EU transactions.
Sanctions
Arash Einolghozati, a 37-year-old lawful permanent resident from Iran, pleaded guilty to violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations.
Fraud & scams
Kuwait's Interior Ministry apprehended an international criminal network engaged in large-scale financial fraud targeting citizens and expatriates. The primary perpetrator previously worked at a vehicle rental company, where he obtained signed blank documents and promissory notes from customers.
Money laundering
Transparency International US released a report titled 'Crypto's Dirty Money Problem: What Congress Must Fix' warning that proposed US cryptocurrency legislation, including the CLARITY Act, contains regulatory gaps that could allegedly enable scammers, drug cartels, terrorist financing, sanctions evasion, and corruption.
Money laundering
India's Enforcement Directorate uncovered a transnational cyber fraud and money laundering syndicate that laundered over ₹303 crore through mule bank accounts, shell companies, and cryptocurrency, with intelligence indicating that nearly ₹641 crore had been routed through UAE-based fintech platform PYYPL using Indian-issued debit cards.
The EU Council imposed restrictive measures on nine Russian individuals and four entities forming part of Russia's cyber ecosystem, responsible for carrying out, enabling and facilitating cyber-attacks against the EU, its member states and international partners.
Money laundering
French and Italian authorities, coordinated by Eurojust and Europol with Kosovar authorities, seized criminal assets worth €1 million in an ongoing investigation into a money laundering network that uses gold bars to launder drug trafficking profits.
Money laundering
Abdullah Anwar, a 28-year-old Pakistani national, was arrested in Qatar and extradited to Texas to face federal charges. A federal grand jury indicted Anwar on charges including conspiracy to transport stolen property, mail fraud, wire fraud and money laundering.
Fraud & scams
Kuwait's Ministry of Interior dismantled an international criminal organization engaged in document forgery and fraudulent legal proceedings, according to official sources.
Trafficking
Rodolfo Junior Aguirre Covarrubias, a Mexican citizen born in June 1988, is accused by U.S. authorities of conspiracy to possess cocaine with intent to distribute.
Fraud & scams
Iraq's Supreme Judicial Council announced that it is coordinating with the government on legal mechanisms aimed at combining accountability for corruption with the recovery of public funds.
Other
Qatar's Ministry of Interior announced the extradition of an Asian national to US authorities on multiple charges related to transnational organised crime.
Bribery & corruption
Diego Marín Buitrago, alias 'Papá Pitufo', considered Colombia's 'smuggling czar', was formally accused in November 2025 of aggravated criminal conspiracy and bribery for offering or giving bribes.
Other
The Financial Conduct Authority led an international enforcement operation targeting unlicensed individuals providing financial guidance online. The operation resulted in three arrests and 650 social media takedown requests.
Trafficking
OLAF coordinated an operation with Spanish, Polish, Portuguese, and Lithuanian authorities that dismantled two international organizations based in Spain involved in manufacturing, distributing, and trafficking counterfeit tobacco products.
Money laundering
Interpol announced on July 9, 2026 the results of operation 'First Light 2026', conducted from January to April 2026 in 97 countries, targeting online fraud and associated money laundering.
Other
Transparency International France published an assessment of twelve years of activity of the High Authority for Transparency in Public Life (HATVP), an institution responsible for overseeing the integrity of public officials in France.
Bribery & corruption
Spanish police, in coordination with Interpol, detained Karla Saud Calero at Madrid airport. Saud represented Progen, a company based in the United States, which obtained contracts during Ecuador's 2024 energy crisis for the acquisition of generators.
Money laundering
The FCA reported securing 17 criminal convictions across fraud, insider dealing, money laundering, and Data Protection Act offences in the year under review. Two individuals received combined 11 years imprisonment for insider dealing and money laundering, and 12 individuals were fined £1.
Other
Michael Sam Teekaye Jr., 22, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison plus lifetime supervised release for attempting to provide material support to ISIS.
Money laundering
Turkish authorities conducted an operation against six suspects accused of laundering approximately 784.7 million Turkish lira derived from human trafficking.
Other
An OpenLux investigation by OCCRP and Le Monde examines a network of companies spanning Luxembourg, Bahrain, and the Cayman Islands controlled by Lebanese political and business figures, including Bahaaeddine Hariri (identified as ultimate beneficial owner), former Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, and businessman Fouad Makhzoumi.
Fraud & scams
Ruthia He, founder and CEO of Done Global Inc.
Fraud & scams
Former attorney general Jean Alain Rodríguez Sánchez faces charges for the alleged embezzlement of over 6 billion Dominican pesos between 2016-2020 through fraudulent processes and a corruption network within public administration, according to prosecutors.
Fraud & scams
U.S. government witness Luis Rivera testified about an alleged international fuel smuggling network operating between Texas and Mexico.
Other
The FBI and U.S. Department of Justice are conducting a preliminary investigation into the international financial operations of the Argentine Football Association (AFA), focusing on approximately 300 million dollars administered through TourProdEnter LLC, according to the article.
Bribery & corruption
Iraqi authorities seized IQD 27 billion ($20.6 million) in connection with a corruption case involving a detained senior official at the Ministry of Oil, following close monitoring of financial proceeds alleged to have arisen from irregularities in projects.
Trafficking
Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, issued a decision establishing a specialized court in Abu Dhabi to hear human trafficking cases, according to the UAE Ministry of Presidential Affairs.
Other
Taiwanese authorities charged two executives, Li Hualun and Chen Mengsen, for violating the personal data protection act and other crimes after they allegedly obtained LINE messaging app accounts and leased them to Xiamen Empress Information Technology Co. Ltd.
Money laundering
Peter Weinzierl, an Austrian banker and former CEO of Meinl Bank, pleaded guilty to charges related to his role in facilitating financial transactions tied to the Odebrecht bribery and money laundering scheme.
Fraud & scams
A Guatemalan appeals court annulled arrest orders against former anti-corruption prosecutors, including the former chief of CICIG (UN-backed anti-corruption commission) Iván Velásquez and former special prosecutor Juan Francisco Sandoval, according to the ruling.
Money laundering
French, Italian and Kosovar law enforcement, coordinated by Eurojust, seized assets valued at approximately one million euros in the context of an ongoing investigation into an international money laundering network linked to drug trafficking.
Money laundering
Operation Global Chain, carried out from 8 to 12 June across 59 countries, led to 1,024 arrests and the identification of 2,070 victims of human trafficking for sexual exploitation, forced labour, and coerced begging.
Sanctions
According to Chainalysis, cryptocurrency addresses linked to sanctioned entities received over $100 billion last year, representing an eightfold increase from the previous year.
Bribery & corruption
Colombia loses approximately 5.2% of GDP annually to tax evasion, according to experts, with corporate income tax evasion accounting for 3.4% of GDP and VAT evasion 1.1%.
Money laundering
Turkey's 'Strategy Document for Increasing Effectiveness in Combating the Laundering of Crime Proceeds and Terrorism Financing and Confiscation Practices (2026-2030)' was published in the Official Gazette with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's signature.
Sanctions
A7A5, a Russia-backed ruble-pegged stablecoin designed to facilitate cross-border payments outside Western financial channels, claims it averages approximately $205 million in daily trading volume and processed $34.
Trafficking
Alias Palizada was arrested in Envigado, Colombia. He is accused of coordinating major international drug trafficking operations, moving approximately 12 tons of cocaine monthly from Colombia to the United States and Europe.
Fraud & scams
El Salvador's Prosecutor's Office and National Civil Police dismantled a criminal network accused of fraudulently diverting $502,201.94 through illegal exchanges of promotional points.
Money laundering
Brazil's Federal Police conducted an operation to dismantle a criminal organization dedicated to money laundering from international drug trafficking.
Money laundering
The Center for Legal and Judicial Studies at Qatar's Ministry of Justice organized a one-week training program titled 'Combating Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Crimes in Qatari Law.'
UK Finance's Annual Fraud Report 2026, published on 2 July 2026, revealed that almost £1.3 billion was stolen through fraud in the UK in 2025, with nearly eight cases of fraud per minute.
Two Metro Detroit women were sentenced in federal court for their roles in a scheme to steal approximately 100 properties across Wayne County, primarily in Detroit, valued at roughly $6.4 million.
Money laundering
Nine individuals were detained, including four French national team pétanque players—Dylan Rocher, Henri Lacroix (suspected as the operation's mastermind), and two additional international players—along with three experienced bettors and two of their spouses.
The International Institute for Strategic Studies reports that Russia conducted surveillance operations on European nuclear facilities using drones launched from vessels belonging to the 'shadow fleet'—ships identified as Seasons 1 and Hav Dolphin operating outside normal international shipping channels.
Fraud & scams
Three Colombian nationals were arrested in the Dominican Republic on allegations of operating a fraud scheme targeting merchants. The accused allegedly promised victims access to millionaire loans and business investments, then demanded upfront payments.
Other
The presidents of Uruguay, Yamandú Orsi, and Chile, José Antonio Kast, reaffirmed on July 1, 2026 their commitment to work together against transnational organized crime and deepen economic integration in Latin America.
Money laundering
Financial authorities in Mexico and the United States jointly targeted a network allegedly involved in fuel smuggling connected to the Jalisco Nueva Generación cartel. The U.S.
Money laundering
Giles Thomson of the UK took office as FATF President on 1 July 2026, announcing that the organization will develop an action plan by October to combat fraud, which costs $500 billion annually worldwide and represents the predominant predicate offense in 90% of FATF mutual evaluations.
Fraud & scams
Aderinsola Oluwanifemi Adeleye, a Nigerian national, was arrested in Accra and charged with participation in a transnational cyber-enabled financial crime syndicate associated with compromised bank cards issued in the United States, following coordination among the Ghana Police Service, INTERPOL and the FBI.
Other
Yorgen Fenech, accused of ordering the murder of Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, has gone on trial in Valletta, Malta, after being arrested in 2019 on a yacht, according to ICIJ.
Other
French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez announced that 77 cases of kidnapping, sequestration, extortion or attempted extortion linked to cryptocurrency holders have been recorded since January 2026, up from 45 cases in all of 2025.
Josh Wander, the co-founder of Miami investment firm 777 Partners charged with cheating lenders and investors out of almost $500 million, faces new allegations that he diverted most of a $20 million loan into his personal brokerage account and then ordered employees to create fake bank statements to cover it up.
Bribery & corruption
German authorities conducted nationwide raids on 1 July 2026 investigating alleged corruption linked to Euro 2024, with more than 150 officers from the criminal police conducting searches at the German Football Association headquarters in Frankfurt and city halls in several host cities.
Bribery & corruption
Guatemala's transparency score doubled from 2 to 4 points in the Bertelsmann Transformation Index (BTI 2026) during the administration of president Bernardo Arévalo, reversing a deterioration trend that extended since 2006, according to the report.
Bribery & corruption
The Third Penal Chamber of the Court of Appeals in Santo Domingo dismissed a review hearing for the coercive measures against prosecutor Aurelio Valdez Alcántara, maintaining his preventive detention.
Other
Aderinsola Oluwanifemi Adeleye, a Nigerian national, was arrested in Accra, Ghana over allegations of cybercrime and financial crimes involving compromised United States-issued bank cards. The case began on June 25, 2026 when suspicious Point of Sale transactions were reported at a fuel station.
The UK officially began its presidency of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) on June 30, 2026, launching a 2026-2028 Roadmap on Combatting Fraud.
Bribery & corruption
Iraq's Supreme Judicial Council announced the seizure of over $14 million from deputy oil minister Ali al-Bahadli, who was arrested as part of Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi's anti-corruption initiative, according to Arab News.
Sanctions
OFSI imposed a £1 million penalty on Sabre Global Technologies in June 2026 for continuing to provide services to JSC Ural Airlines after the airline became subject to UK sanctions.
Fraud & scams
Lorena Rosa Malú Canales Cerdán, a Peruvian bank operations analyst, faces investigation for allegedly transferring approximately S/ 6.5 million from institutional accounts to personal accounts over eight months.
Fraud & scams
The European Public Prosecutor's Office arrested 11 suspects in Germany, Poland and Latvia in an investigation against a criminal organisation suspected of a large-scale VAT fraud scheme involving sales of diesel.
Money laundering
The European Public Prosecutor's Office conducted searches in the Paris region on 25 June investigating a suspected VAT carousel fraud scheme involving 26 French companies. Six individuals were questioned in connection with suspected financial management and money laundering operations.
Fraud & scams
Iraqi security forces, including elite Counter-Terrorism Service units, arrested 47 officials including MPs and senior government figures in dawn raids across Baghdad's Green Zone.
Money laundering
Italian mafia boss Domenico Paviglianiti, approximately 65 years old and considered the 'boss of bosses' of the 'Ndrangheta organization, was arrested in Soria, Spain on June 26 following an international Interpol operation.
The Berlin Regional Court sentenced Gerard Grischew to three years and ten months in prison on 10 June 2026 after he pleaded guilty to charges including document forgery and operating an unregistered banking system.
Money laundering
Federal Court 11 closed the investigation and sent 33 defendants to trial for alleged participation in a money laundering scheme benefiting the late former secretary of Néstor Kirchner, Daniel Muñoz.
Money laundering
The Libyan Public Prosecution is investigating an international network accused of fraud and money laundering through Libya, Germany, France and the United Arab Emirates.
Money laundering
Ingrid Paola Ávila Hernández, known as 'La Patrona' and sister of Clan del Golfo leader 'Chiquito Malo,' was captured at José María Córdova International Airport in Antioquia.
Money laundering
Transparency International released new research on June 24, 2026, examining financial intelligence units (FIUs) across 20 countries.
Fraud & scams
Oman's Royal Oman Police uncovered an international fraud operation after officers became suspicious of a man climbing from a building window at 3 a.m. in Salalah.
Money laundering
Law enforcement associations, anti-corruption advocates, and major banking groups warned that the proposed Clarity Act could create regulatory exemptions for certain decentralized and automated cryptocurrency services that criminals rely on to obfuscate fund flows.
Money laundering
Christopher Delgado, former CEO of Goliath Ventures, a Central Florida cryptocurrency investment company, agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud, wire fraud and money laundering charges tied to a $250 million Ponzi scheme that defrauded over 1,000 investors.
Trafficking
Turkish authorities arrested multiple INTERPOL-wanted individuals in June 2026, including Afghan national Nazar Mohammad Nazari (arrested June 21 in Kütahya on a Red Notice issued in November 2023), Dutch national Sezgin Kement (detained in Istanbul's Şişli district in early June on narcotics…
Bribery & corruption
Iraq's Supreme Judicial Council announced the confiscation of over $85 million (totaling more than 98 billion dinars and $11 million) in a corruption case involving Adnan al-Jumaili, former deputy minister of oil for liquidation affairs. Al-Jumaili was arrested in Salah al-Din province.
The U.S. Treasury designated seven actors allegedly involved in illicit weapons procurement for Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, including Iranian national Behrouz Namazi and his company Nika Jet, Nigerian firm Vanguard Tactical Supply Limited, Italian national Dounia Ettaib, and Russian…
Fraud & scams
International criminal organizations are recruiting legitimate e-commerce merchants to commit fraud schemes, according to analysis by LexisNexis Risk Solutions. The study found that legitimate traders accounted for 38.
Money laundering
SFO announced investigation into Internet Mobile Communications Limited (IMC), collapsed UK technology company that ran international platform selling telecom services for over 12 years from Chelmsford, Essex.
Money laundering
Iraq appointed a new central bank governor as the country was placed on the Financial Action Task Force grey list in June 2026, referring to deficiencies in anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing frameworks.
Securities & markets
On June 11, 2026, the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) of Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) approved the first admission of tokenized digital securities (referred to as bStocks) to its Official List.
Money laundering
Argentine federal authorities raided residences of model Jesica Cirio and her former partner Elías Piccirillo following release of videos showing Cirio displaying thousands of dollars in cash.
Fraud & scams
Wangiri phone scams ('call and hang up') continue victimizing many people daily in Peru, with experts warning the number of victims keeps increasing. The scam is aggravated because many calls come from countries without international cooperation agreements with Peru, making prosecution difficult.
Money laundering
OjoPúblico investigation identifies approximately 60 companies suspected of laundering illegally mined gold in Peru.
Other
Investigation details systematic illegal property confiscations by Ortega-Murillo regime: USD 250 million in documented seized properties. Constitutional reform February 2023 enabled seizure of assets from those declared 'traitors to homeland.'
Fraud & scams
Dubai Police arrested two suspects—one Indian national and one local resident—in connection with an international cybercrime operation targeting the Nandekar family in Mumbai.
Other
Dubai Police apprehended a criminal organization engaged in illegally intercepting and redistributing encrypted satellite television channels.
Money laundering
FATF removed Algeria and Namibia from its grey list of countries with strategic deficiencies in anti-money laundering efforts after they completed action plans. Bosnia and Herzegovina and Iraq were added to the grey list. The blacklist remains unchanged with North Korea, Iran, and Myanmar.
Money laundering
Five Eyes law enforcement agencies have dismantled 15 major international money laundering syndicates through coordinated investigations, according to an announcement made by the Australian Federal Police.
Money laundering
Stephany Maryel Villarreal, Panamanian national, arrested in Spain through coordinated Interpol operation. Faces allegations of capital laundering connected to drug trafficking proceeds.
Money laundering
Iran's Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) and Anti-Money Laundering Center demanded comprehensive financial data from all Iranian companies including detailed statements, itemized breakdowns of material/goods purchases, and life insurance data.
Trafficking
Two foreign brothers (identified as the Pacheco brothers) were captured in Medellín's Laureles neighborhood, sought by the U.S. District Court for Southern Ohio for international drug trafficking crimes.
Money laundering
FATF placed Iraq on its grey list for enhanced monitoring in June 2026, requiring the country to implement additional reforms in anti-money laundering and financial oversight.
Fraud & scams
Alleged corruption investigation at Senasa (Dominican Republic's National Health Insurance) involves three main criminal structures. Authorities identified administrative and medical entities suspected of embezzling public funds through fraudulent schemes affecting cancer patients and the state.
Money laundering
Fifteen people were arrested and nearly €8 million seized in a coordinated France-Belgium operation dismantling a transnational money-laundering network linked to drug trafficking.
Other
During the night of June 13-14, 2026, a criminal operation occurred across multiple municipalities in Bouches-du-Rhône, where four men were arrested while holding two women hostage to extort cryptocurrencies from them.
Money laundering
Dubai's Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (Vara) issued guidance requiring virtual asset service providers to strengthen their approach to financial-crime risk assessment.
Money laundering
U.S. Department of Justice investigating how Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei built global investment portfolio with exposure to Wall Street banks. Investigation part of broader examination into allegations connected to money laundering and corruption. (Full details behind paywall)
Money laundering
The UAE extradited three individuals to Belgium who were wanted on Interpol Red Notices for charges related to money laundering, drug trafficking, and links to transnational organized criminal groups. The extradition followed judicial rulings and the extradition treaty between the UAE and Belgium.
Money laundering
UAE transferred three suspects to Belgian authorities who were sought via Interpol red notices. Individuals faced allegations involving money laundering, drug trafficking, and transnational organised crime activities.
US District Judge Richard Berman ruled June 17, 2026 that Turkey's Halkbank had met conditions agreed with government for dismissing case under deferred prosecution deal signed in March.
Money laundering
Guatemala's Executive sanctioned Decree 15-2026, the Comprehensive Law for the Prevention and Repression of Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing, on June 17, 2026, with implementation in three months.
Sanctions
UK Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) fined Sabre Global Technologies £1,000,920.59 for continuing to provide Russian carrier Ural Airlines access to its Global Distribution System for seven months after UK sanctions were imposed.
Sanctions
OFSI imposed £1 million penalty on UK travel technology company Sabre Global Technologies for continuing to provide Russian carrier Ural Airlines access to its global distribution system for seven months after UK sanctions imposed in May 2022.
Money laundering
Ronald Javier Macías Villamar, alias 'Javi,' brother of Los Choneros leader José Adolfo Macías Villamar (alias 'Fito'), was captured in Colombia through coordinated Ecuador-Colombia operation.
Bribery & corruption
Former Inspector General of Police of Bangladesh Benazir Ahmed was arrested in Dubai by UAE authorities on June 12, 2026, with Interpol assistance following a red notice issued by Bangladesh's Anti-Corruption Commission. The ACC investigation centers on Ahmed acquiring 613.
Sanctions
UK sanctions designated Yandex Bank and Wildberries Bank, plus entities connected to the A7 cryptocurrency payment system created by Promsvyazbank and fugitive Moldovan oligarch Ilan Shor for facilitating sanctions evasion.
Britain introduced the first-ever global sanctions targeting Russian 'shadow fleet' vessels transporting liquefied natural gas, aiming to disrupt illicit energy commerce.
Money laundering
Brazilian authorities arrested an unnamed principal financial operator for the Tren de Aragua criminal organization at Rio de Janeiro's Galeão International Airport on June 16, 2026, during 'Operation Northern Route.'
Money laundering
Fort Bend County jury found current County Judge KP George guilty on two charges of money laundering for illegally moving more than $46,000 of campaign funds into his personal accounts and tampering with finance reports.
Bribery & corruption
Speech by Therese Chambers, Joint Executive Director of Enforcement and Market Oversight at the FCA, delivered at the International Bar Association Anti-Corruption Conference. By June 1, 2026, the FCA already had 6 convictions and levied nearly £17m in financial penalties.
Money laundering
The First Collegiate Court of the National District issued a historic sentence on June 16, 2026, in the Coral and Coral 5G operations, convicting 29 individuals including high-ranking military officials for corruption and money laundering in the Dominican Republic's military and police sectors.
Tax evasion
Amjad Ibrahim of Johns Creek, Georgia, was sentenced to one year and three months in prison following his conviction for evading nearly $1.5 million in federal income taxes over a four-year span. According to the IRS, Ibrahim willfully failed to file tax returns and pay taxes owed on his income.
Trafficking
On June 9, 2026, the Marseille Research Section dismantled an international criminal organization involved in arms, drug, and human trafficking following a JIRS-ordered judicial operation. Ten people were arrested in the Alpes-Maritimes, and approximately €1.
Money laundering
A 36-year-old police officer from Courbevoie police station was charged in June 2026 with organized money laundering, criminal association, and corruption.
Other
Héctor Rustherford Guerrero Flores, leader of the transnational criminal organization Tren de Aragua, was killed during a U.S. Southern Command operation coordinated with Venezuela. The U.S.
Fraud & scams
Sharjah Police participated in the Fraud & Financial Crime Asia forum in Singapore, demonstrating their anti-fraud expertise to an international audience from more than 20 countries. The event focused on financial crime prevention and detection methods.
Other
FIA Karachi Sea Port uncovered international hawala network and seized 3.8 million rupees. Arrested ship captain Abdul Salam and launch owner Mansur Baloch for allegedly transferring funds from smuggling operations through illegal hawala channels.
Fraud & scams
Oleksii Oleksiyovych Lytvynenko, 44, a Ukrainian national extradited from Ireland, pleaded guilty on June 11 to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with deploying Conti ransomware, which infected more than 1,000 computers and networks worldwide.
Money laundering
The collapse of UK property lender Market Financial Solutions (MFS) in February 2026 has triggered investigations into the firm's auditors. MFS entered administration on February 25, 2026, amid fraud allegations including double-pledging assets as collateral to multiple lenders.
Bribery & corruption
Two Colombian nationals—Nerlin Pineda Paredes (alias 'Familia') and Alver Pineda Mosquera (alias 'Promesa')—were arrested in Quito on June 9, 2026, as part of Operation Gran Fénix 29.
Bribery & corruption
The Colombian Attorney General's Office requested a one-year extension of the detention measure against Carlos Ramón González, former director of the Presidential Administrative Department and close associate of President Gustavo Petro.
Other
On June 11, 2026, FIA Karachi Sea Port team uncovered an alleged international Hundi Hawala network and recovered 38 lakh rupees. During inspection, the absence of ship captain Abdul Salam was noted, who was arrested while handing over money to launch owner Mansoor Baloch.
David Greenhalgh, 68, and Christos Farmakis, 48, were found guilty on June 11, 2026, of running a secretive international arms brokering operation at Southwark Crown Court. The two men were jointly found guilty of eight counts of illegal arms trafficking under the Export Control Order 2008.
Money laundering
Authorities in Europe disrupted AudiA6, a cryptocurrency laundering service used by ransomware gangs and cybercriminal networks, estimated to have laundered more than €336 million since 2021.
Money laundering
Demani Jawara Bosket of Saluda, South Carolina, and his niece, Tanya Lashawn Bosket of Charlotte, North Carolina, were convicted by a federal jury of one count of wire fraud conspiracy and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering in connection with a sophisticated transnational fraud ring that stole more than $25 million from victims across the country.
Money laundering
French and Belgian authorities dismantled an international money laundering network in a joint operation coordinated by Eurojust on June 6, 2026. Eight individuals were arrested, and over €8 million in cash, three luxury vehicles, and high-end watches were seized during 17 raids.
Fraud & scams
The Paris Tribunal Correctionnel convicted Worldpay for complicity in illegal provision of payment services in an online currency investment fraud case. The international payment company received a fine of 200,000 € (two fines of 100,000 € for two separate proceedings).
Money laundering
The Federal Investigation Agency established Financial Action Task Force (FATF) desks across all operational zones to strengthen compliance with international anti-money laundering standards ahead of Pakistan's 2027 evaluation.
European Commission proposed 21st sanctions package against Russia targeting 90 Russian banks (largest package of financial sanctions against banks), bringing total sanctioned banks above 100, representing more than 50% of all Russian credit organizations conducting international transactions.
Money laundering
Moroccan police arrested 11 individuals wanted by French, Belgian, and Dutch authorities for international drug trafficking, money laundering, and fraud in a coordinated operation spanning Tangier to Marrakech on June 8, 2026.
Money laundering
Italian authorities arrested Clarissa La Porta (41) in Turin around June 5-6, 2026, pursuant to a European Arrest Warrant from Luxembourg. She is accused of playing a leading role in a transnational criminal organisation that embezzled approximately €61.
Fraud & scams
Former FirstEnergy CEO Chuck Jones and VP Michael Dowling were reindicted by Summit County Grand Jury on 22 combined criminal counts including bribery, conspiracy, and fraud for allegedly operating a criminal enterprise (2010-2021) that bribed state officials including paying Public Utilities…
Sam Bankman-Fried, FTX co-founder, formally applied for presidential pardon on June 8, 2026, more than two years after conviction over multi-billion dollar collapse of cryptocurrency empire. Bankman-Fried convicted of fraud and other crimes related to FTX collapse.
Money laundering
EU's Anti-Money Laundering Authority (AMLA) held its first conference on June 9, 2026, at Alte Oper in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Conference brought together senior representatives from Europe's supervisory, financial intelligence, and regulatory communities alongside private sector leaders.
Money laundering
Kuwaiti authorities uncovered an international gambling and money laundering network that laundered 16 million Kuwaiti dinars.
Fraud & scams
A federal jury convicted four former leaders of the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers in connection with a 15-year scheme involving no-show jobs, lavish travel, improper vacation payouts and an unauthorized $7 million loan to a union-affiliated bank.
Money laundering
Pakistan's NAB froze $4.5 million in Mauritius bank accounts allegedly owned by Bahria Town CEO Ahmed Ali Riaz and wife Mubashra Ali Malik.
Bribery & corruption
Transparency International Pakistan released a report stating that Pakistan's infrastructure sector faces high risks of corruption and governance failures despite a strong regulatory framework. The report gave Pakistan an overall score of 6.34 out of 10, classifying it as 'high ICRAT risk.'
Russian citizen Tatyana Kurashkevich detained at Tbilisi airport at FBI request for circumventing international sanctions and organizing supply of aircraft spare parts (Airbus components) to Russia after Ukraine invasion.
Fraud & scams
Francisco Cosenza, a former Honduran official, received a probationary sentence after pleading guilty to accepting approximately $200,000 in bribes in exchange for police uniform contracts.
Fraud & scams
The First Criminal Court of Santa Tecla sentenced Mauricio Alonso Alvarado Ayala to 10 years in prison for defrauding two victims by making them believe he could facilitate US work visas through contacts at the US embassy.
Sanctions
DOJ charged Jamshid Ghomi, 63-year-old Iranian-American technology executive in California, for conspiracy to violate International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
Fraud & scams
Cybercriminals are launching a sophisticated fraud campaign targeting World Cup fans through approximately 4,300 fake domains impersonating FIFA.
Sanctions
Bellingcat investigation reveals multiple technical connections between Viory, a UAE-based video news agency operating across the Global South, and Ruptly, a subsidiary of sanctioned Russian state media outlet Russia Today.
Sanctions
FBI agents arrested Jamshid Ghomi, 63-year-old dual Iranian-American citizen, on June 3, 2026. Charged with conspiracy to violate International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) for sanctions evasion related to transactions with Iran.
Fraud & scams
Honduras Public Ministry filed charges against 11 current and former Central Bank employees for reckless embezzlement related to illegal withdrawal of over 88 million lempiras ($3.31 million USD). Four arrested in San Pedro Sula, one in Choluteca.
Civil Guard arrested in Tenerife one of the main leaders of OmegaPro pyramid scheme wanted by FBI.
Money laundering
Chile hosted a summit in early June 2026 with Argentina, Peru, Ecuador, and Bolivia to establish joint measures against organized crime and violence.
Money laundering
Kuwaiti court imposed seven-year prison sentences on three individuals convicted of operating an online gambling scheme involving money laundering, with combined fines of KD16.839 million.
Money laundering
Colombia's Attorney General's office announced charges against eight individuals allegedly connected to an international smuggling network dealing in women's clothing and accessories under the Lili Pink brand.
Money laundering
Puquan Huang, 50, a Chinese national residing in Buford, Georgia, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Fraud & scams
DOJ Scam Center Strike Force 'Disruption Week' (May 18-21, 2026) resulted in disruption of millions of social media, email, and internet accounts used by transnational organized crime actors in Southeast Asia to defraud Americans. Private sector voluntarily froze over $3.
Fraud & scams
Dominican Supreme Court's Second Criminal Chamber upheld three-month preventive detention for prosecutor Aurelio Valdez Alcántara, accused of demanding and receiving $10,000 in bribes from a witness in the Senasa fraud case. He has been held at Najayo prison since March 2026.
Money laundering
Guatemala's Congress passed comprehensive anti-money laundering legislation with 147 votes. Decree 15-2026 represents significant update to country's legal framework for combating financial crimes.
Money laundering
Kuwait's Court of Appeal sentenced a Syrian national and two Egyptian nationals to seven years imprisonment each for allegedly operating an international electronic betting operation and money laundering derived from illegal gambling activities, according to the court.
Money laundering
Tamin Haidar, 34, a former Union City bank employee, was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison after admitting to embezzling more than $800,000. According to prosecutors, Haidar pleaded guilty to embezzlement by a bank employee and money laundering in November of last year.
Guatemala's Congress approved on June 2 with 147 votes Decree 15-2026, Comprehensive Law for the Prevention and Repression of Money Laundering or Other Assets and Financing of Terrorism.
Money laundering
Security and justice ministers from all Mercosur member states and associated countries (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Bolivia) signed the 'Asunción Commitment 2026 against Corruption and Organized Crime' at the 55th Meeting of Interior Ministers and 63rd Meeting of Justice Ministers (May 26-29) in Asunción.
Money laundering
Belgian prosecutors opened investigation into Wise Europe over allegations accounts were used to launder proceeds from fraud, corruption and drug trafficking.
French naval forces intercepted the oil tanker Tagor in the Atlantic Ocean on May 31, 2026. The vessel was under sanctions from the US, EU, UK, and Ukraine since February 2026.
Sanctions
Proyekt investigation revealed that former FSB chief Nikolai Patrushev, oligarchs Roman Abramovich and Vladimir Yevtushenkov were beneficiaries of the A7 cross-border payment network evading sanctions.
Money laundering
French authorities detained a Russian shadow fleet tanker. The network of Mohammad Hussein Shamhani includes shell companies that launder billions of dollars in profits from Iranian and Russian crude oil, with Iran having extensive experience in evading international sanctions.
Bribery & corruption
Transparency International France reports that corruption offenses in France increased by more than 35%, with corruption involving elected officials rising by 88% between 2016-2020 and 2021-2025.
Terrorist financing
Iran International obtained exclusive documents showing Chinese company, coordinated with Beijing through intermediaries in Turkey and UAE, supplies chemical materials (sodium chlorate, sodium perchlorate) for ballistic missile production to IRGC—sufficient quantities for approximately 2,500 ballistic missiles, valued at $43 million.
Money laundering
Operation Chameleón concluded its preliminary stage in late May 2026, investigating a corruption and money laundering network within the National Institute of Traffic and Land Transportation (Intrant), involving former director Hugo Beras and businessman José Ángel Gómez Canaán. The SeNaSa 2.
Money laundering
Court of Auditors approved report on Spanish anti-money laundering system (2020-2024), criticizing absence of clear strategy with measurable objectives.
Bribery & corruption
Saudi Arabia's Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority (Nazaha), represented by president Mazin Al-Kahmous, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Syria's Central Commission for Control and Inspection, chaired by Amer Al-Ali, to strengthen joint efforts against corruption and cross-border financial crimes.
Terrorist financing
US Department of State designated Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) and Comando Vermelho (CV), Brazil's two largest criminal organizations, as Specially Designated Global Terrorists on May 28, 2026, with Foreign Terrorist Organization designations effective June 5, 2026.
Other
Transparency International France filed complaints with lobbying oversight authorities against TotalEnergies SE and TotalEnergies Marketing France for lobbying activities conducted in 2021 and 2024 allegedly violating legal obligation of transparency/sincerity (obligation de sincérité).
Money laundering
Francia Sofía Medina was found guilty of multiple offenses related to corruption and money laundering in Honduras. The case became one of the most significant proceedings regarding alleged acts of corruption within the Honduran judicial system, due to the magnitude of money allegedly stolen.
The U.S. Department of State designated Comando Vermelho (CV) and Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) as Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs) effective immediately, and announced intentions to designate both groups as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) effective June 5, 2026.
Money laundering
Colombian Technical Investigation Corps arrested Chinese citizen Haibo Zhang (alias Chokan) who allegedly directed extensive international money laundering operation. Operated from Bogotá and Valle del Cauca, established organization's central infrastructure.
Sanctions
UK imposed major sanctions package on May 26, 2026 targeting cryptocurrency exchanges and illicit finance networks used by Russia. First application of correspondent banking and payment processing restrictions to crypto exchanges.
Sanctions
UK sanctioned 18 entities May 26, 2026 including HTX (formerly Huobi) exchange and A7A5 ruble-pegged stablecoin for helping Russia evade sanctions. Global Ledger report claimed HTX processed $21 billion in 'high-risk' crypto flows 2021-May 2026, with at least $7.
Money laundering
Greg Lindberg, 56, Tampa, Florida, sentenced to 12 years for orchestrating multibillion-dollar insurance fraud and bribery scheme (2016-2019).
Trafficking
André Oliveira Macedo (alias 'André do Rap'), one of the main leaders of Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC), one of Brazil's largest criminal organizations, was arrested in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia.
Sanctions
UK sanctioned 18 entities and individuals comprising the Kremlin-backed 'A7 Network' which moved over $90 billion in 2025—equivalent to roughly half Russia's yearly military expenditure. Targets include HTX (formerly Huobi), a major global cryptocurrency exchange suspected of channeling over $1.
Sanctions
The UK sanctioned 18 cryptocurrency exchanges, payment providers, and individuals for helping Russia bypass international trade blockades using digital assets. Major targets include HTX (formerly Huobi Global S.A.), which is suspected of channeling over $1.
Money laundering
Global Remit Currency Services, an international money transfer company, faces police investigation for suspected serious violations of Israel's anti-money laundering law.
Fraud & scams
Main suspect in multi-billion-rupee housing fraud case arrested in UAE following Interpol-coordinated operation with support from UAE Ministry of Justice. Case involves alleged fraud of over Rs1.
Fraud & scams
Colombia's 2026 presidential elections could increase risks of bribery and corruption in public contracting and campaign financing, according to NYCE.
Money laundering
A firm detected in Managua, Nicaragua, dedicated itself to managing investment funds in virtual assets, tokenization and cryptocurrency exchange platforms, allegedly connected to international drug trafficking networks. The case took ten years to fully develop.
Money laundering
Police detained Leoncio Ramón Mareco, alleged leader of international structure dedicated to money laundering and drug trafficking to United States, arrested in central Asunción.
Money laundering
UAE Federal Prosecution participated in five-day BRICS international anti-money laundering program.
Money laundering
A Georgian citizen was sentenced to 37 months in prison for laundering more than $1.1 million in illicit health care fraud proceeds to his co-conspirators located abroad.
Money laundering
DOJ unsealed an indictment charging Ruhuan Zhen and Hongce Wu, both Chinese nationals, with conspiracy to commit money laundering in connection with transnational criminal organizations, including the Sinaloa Cartel and CJNG.
Bribery & corruption
Dominican Public Prosecutor's Office (PEPCA) requested preventive detention for migration inspector Albert Isaac Pérez Ferreras who allegedly demanded $200 USD from Spanish nationals at Las Américas International Airport on May 17.
Ziyue Zhao (aka Chris Zhao) has a sentencing hearing scheduled for June 23, 2026, after pleading guilty in a $65 million fraud and money laundering scheme targeting elderly victims across the United States.
Money laundering
Swiss regulator FINMA launched consultation (until June 9, 2026) on partially revised AML Ordinance addressing beneficial ownership transparency, Embargo Act compliance to prevent sanctions breaches, and FATF recommendations implementation.
Money laundering
Investigation reveals Zarrinqalam family-based financial network suspected of laundering funds for IRGC operates from London using shell companies in China and UAE.
Money laundering
Guatemala's Special Verification Office (IVE) reported Q2,751.5 million accumulated in money laundering and terrorism financing reports as of April 2026. 110 total reports (January-April), 27 in April. 660 individuals under investigation as of April 30.
Money laundering
Iran International investigation revealed eight members of the Zarrinqalam family, who own multiple currency exchange businesses, established a money laundering network to assist the IRGC in circumventing international sanctions.
Swiss Federal Police (Fedpol) Annual Report 2025 disclosed investigation into Russian funds held by sanctioned Russian oligarch, described as 'one of largest cases involving money laundering for purpose of evading sanctions'.
Tax evasion
Ricardo Magro, head of the Refit Group and fuel sector tycoon, has been placed on Interpol's Red Notice list by the Brazilian Supreme Court, framed as the largest tax evader in Brazil's history.
Fraud & scams
Interpol Operation Rameses (October 2025 - February 2026) dismantled cybercrime infrastructure across 13 Arab countries including Gulf states. Police identified approximately 3,867 victims and arrested 201 suspects, with 382 additional individuals identified as connected to cyber fraud.
Money laundering
Costa Rica's OIJ dismantled on May 18 a money laundering network linked to drug trafficking in operation 'Caso Lusso', with 17 searches and 8 detained (including a leader with surname Alfaro, approximately 50 years old).
Fraud & scams
INTERPOL's Operation Ramz, running from October 2025 to February 28, 2026, led to the arrest of 201 individuals, with a further 382 suspects identified, across thirteen countries in the Middle East and North Africa including UAE, Bahrain, Oman, and Qatar.
Sanctions
A7A5 ruble-pegged stablecoin processed over $110 billion cumulative onchain transactions, capturing 43% of global non-USD stablecoin market.
Fraud & scams
Olena Oblamska (aka Lola Ferrari), a Ukrainian national accused of being one of four founders of cryptocurrency platform Forsage, was extradited from Thailand to face charges in a $340 million global cryptocurrency fraud scheme.
Other
Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency Corporate Crime Circle Karachi arrested Faisal Abu Bakar and Ali Raza during a targeted raid at XPO Maritime Logistics on Shahrah-e-Faisal. Authorities seized Rs5.45 million Pakistani currency, US$44,140, and 45,155 UAE dirhams.
Iran relies on hawala networks operating through exchange houses and brokers in Dubai, Kuwait, and Gulf Arab states, with entire Telegram channels tracking daily 'hawala (Emirati) dirhams' rates between Dubai and Iran and Omani rials into Iranian accounts.
Bank of Israel disconnected Global Remit Currency Services from payment systems following the Capital Market Authority's immediate suspension of the company's license due to suspected serious money laundering law violations.
Trafficking
U.S. indictment reveals Turkey served as critical operational and financial hub for Iranian weapons trafficking to Sudan. Turkish exchange houses and banks facilitated fund transfers; defendants advised using Turkish exchanges in smaller amounts to avoid detection.
Money laundering
Abu Dhabi Global Market published the 2026 update of its money laundering and terrorist financing risk assessment related to legal persons and legal arrangements, a comprehensive review of their first assessment from March 2024.
Money laundering
OCCRP and 12 partners gained access to over 3,800 files of evidence, police reports, chat logs from French investigation into Sky Global, company behind Sky ECC encrypted phones.
Money laundering
Hundreds of intercepted Sky ECC encrypted messages expose the inner workings of an international drug trafficking organization allegedly led by Albanian national Dritan Gjika.
Other
France has become the global epicenter of crypto-related kidnappings, accounting for 70% of worldwide cases with 41 kidnappings in less than 5 months of 2026 (averaging one every 2.5 days). 88 individuals have been charged across 12 cases.
Fraud & scams
A couple from New Jersey was indicted for operating a real estate investment scam structured as a Ponzi scheme. According to prosecutors, the defendants defrauded investors by promising high returns on real estate property development while using funds from newer investors to pay earlier investors.
Other
The Dubai Financial Services Authority imposed a fine of $139,722 (Dh513,129) on Wael Abdelmohsen Abdellatif Mohamed Emara (also known as Mohsen) and prohibited him from working in financial services in the Dubai International Financial Centre, according to the DFSA.
Money laundering
Coordinated operation by authorities in 9 countries (Germany, US, Canada, Singapore, Luxembourg, Cyprus, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, UK) resulted in 18 arrests and searches at 60 locations. Networks defrauded 4.3 million cardholders across 193 countries of at least €300M (2016-2021).
Money laundering
Kuwait, with support from Interpol and UAE authorities, has extradited a man convicted in a money laundering case. The man, of Indian nationality, had been sentenced to 10 years in prison with hard labour, followed by deportation.
Money laundering
Kuwaiti authorities secured the return of an Indian fugitive convicted in a money laundering case involving more than KD433,000, linked to a criminal network trading in alcoholic beverages.
Fraud & scams
A Dubai civil court ordered two women convicted in a fake online trading scam to pay Dh700,000 in compensation to a man who lost his savings after being lured into investing through a bogus global markets platform.
Other
UAE authorities arrested fugitive who held position as legal advisor and general delegate at Kuwaiti cooperative society, convicted of embezzling public funds and forging official documents from 2012-2018.
Fraud & scams
Two US tax advisers, Matthew S. and Jerôme L., were sentenced in Belgium to two years in prison and ordered to pay €13.3 million in damages in the CumEx scandal.
Money laundering
Following OCCRP's Dubai Unlocked investigation (70+ media outlets, published May 2026), FATF pledged experts will examine findings and consider them in assessing UAE's AML efforts.
FATF and APG published mutual evaluation report (based on July 2025 on-site visit) affirming Singapore has robust, effective AML/CFT/CPF framework. Singapore placed on Regular Follow-up status (for members performing well), improved from 2016 assessment.
Monaco's Autorité Monégasque de Sécurité Financière fined UBS Monaco €6 million (USD $7 million) for Anti-Money Laundering failures. AMSF found UBS Monaco breached Monaco's AML obligations from 2018 to 2023, including deficiencies in Customer Due Diligence and ongoing monitoring.
Canada introduced Bill C-29 on April 27, 2026 to establish Canada's first-ever federal law enforcement agency dedicated to investigating sophisticated financial crimes (fraud, money laundering) and recovering illicit proceeds. Funding: C$352.7M over 5 years (starting 2026-27), C$82.
Money laundering
Colombian prosecutors issued nine arrest warrants in international smuggling and money laundering network linked to Lili Pink condom distribution chain.
Thirty defendants charged in decade-long insider trading scheme that netted tens of millions of dollars.
The SEC charged 21 individuals for their alleged involvement in a decade-long insider trading scheme that used information misappropriated from multiple global law firms and resulted in millions of dollars in illicit profits.
Money laundering
William R., a Colombian citizen, was detained in Ipiales (Nariño) for leading a criminal organization dedicated to laundering drug trafficking assets through shell companies. He faces charges of drug trafficking, money laundering, and criminal association.
Sanctions
Reuters investigation found that brothers Ali and Mohammad Kharrazi (using surname Aghamir) turned Nobitex into Iran's dominant cryptocurrency provider managing ~70% of Iran's crypto transactions.
Sanctions
Russian oligarchs allegedly use A7 payments company for sanctions evasion via ruble-backed cryptocurrency A7A5. Founded 2024 by Moldovan oligarch Ilan Shor.
Money laundering
CHP Istanbul Deputy Fethi Açıkel submitted 11 questions regarding allegations that the Treasury and Finance Ministry is preparing a new asset reconciliation.
Fraud & scams
Dubai Police Operation 'Tri-Force Sentinel' dismantled international fraud network in cooperation with FBI and Chinese Police. Arrested 276 individuals (mostly Southeast Asian) operating 9 fraud centers engaged in High-Yield Investment Scams (HYIS) and cryptocurrency fraud.
Money laundering
Dubai Police, in coordination with FBI and Chinese Ministry of Public Security under UAE Ministry of Interior, dismantled nine scam centers and arrested 276 individuals involved in cryptocurrency investment fraud schemes including 'pig butchering' scams, high-yield investment fraud, and virtual currency fraud.
Sanctions
U.S. Treasury sanctioned 35 entities and individuals involved in Iran's shadow banking operations under 'Economic Wrath' campaign. Network allegedly moved tens of billions of dollars linked to sanctions evasion.
Fraud & scams
Dubai police announced a coordinated global operation in partnership with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Chinese Police, leading to the arrest of 276 members, primarily from Southeast Asia.
An investigation by Proekt alleges that billionaires Roman Abramovich and Viktor Kharitonin may be connected to A7, a payment platform established in 2024 to facilitate cross-border money transfers circumventing Western sanctions.
Sanctions
The EU unveiled its 20th Russia sanctions package in late April 2026, imposing a total ban on the country's crypto providers and platforms and blocking the central bank's digital ruble and the RUBx stablecoin.
Money laundering
France's ACPR Sanctions Commission issued Decision No. 2024-06 on 19 March 2026, imposing a formal reprimand and a financial penalty of €1.
Other
National prosecutor for organized crime (PNACO) Vanessa Perrée released report April 24, 2026 on cryptocurrency-related kidnappings: 88 people charged including 10+ minors across 12 ongoing judicial investigations; 75 in pre-trial detention.
Fraud & scams
James Andrew Wellesley, British national, sentenced to 10 years in prison for role in Ponzi-like scheme that defrauded investors of nearly $100 million.
Other
FCA secured guilty plea from Aaron Chalmers (Geordie Shore personality) for illegal financial promotions on social media. Part of week-long international operation (April 20-26) with 17 regulators targeting illegal finfluencers. FCA commenced criminal proceedings against 2 additional individuals.
Other
DIFC Courts recorded 396 cases in Q1 2026, up 22% from 325 in Q1 2025. Average case value was 13.3 million AED. Primary Court handled 50 cases averaging 91.8 million AED each, totaling 3 billion AED. Three new experienced judges sworn in.
Money laundering
Bahrain's Shura Council approved amendments to Central Bank Law authorizing imprisonment and/or fines up to BD1 million for unlicensed financial services and unauthorized use of banking/insurance terminology. Reforms aim to combat money laundering and terrorist financing per FATF standards.
Money laundering
Congolese singer Gims (real name Gandhi Djuna) was formally charged on March 27, 2026 by Paris's financial prosecutor for aggravated money laundering and organized money laundering. The investigation involves an international criminal network allegedly headquartered in Morocco.
Money laundering
Saudi Cabinet approved amendments to anti-money laundering law on April 17, 2026. New provisions impose travel bans on Saudi nationals sentenced to prison for money laundering for period equal to their prison term.
Sanctions
Russia-linked cryptocurrency exchange Grinex suspended operations on April 16, 2026, after cyberattack resulting in loss of 1 billion rubles ($13.7 million).
Fraud & scams
Investigators from the National Financial Prosecutor's Office raided Engie (formerly GDF Suez) on 16 April 2026 as part of a judicial investigation targeting Rachida Dati, former minister of culture.
UAE Central Bank (CBUAE) introduced comprehensive update to Anti-Money Laundering, Combating Financing of Terrorism, and Countering Proliferation Financing framework April 16, 2026, aligning with FATF standards ahead of expected FATF onsite mutual evaluation mid-2026.
Money laundering
The Central Bank of the UAE rolled out fresh anti-money laundering and counter-terror financing guidelines, tightening expectations for banks and money transfer operators, with clearer supervisory expectations across customer verification, trade finance monitoring and correspondent banking.
Russia-linked crypto exchange Grinex (designated as Garantex's successor, sanctioned by OFAC August 2025) suspended operations April 16, 2026 after alleged hack drained approximately 1 billion rubles ($13-15 million) in USDT.
Money laundering
The Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates issued updated guidelines for combating money laundering and terrorist financing in line with international best practices.
Fraud & scams
DOJ announced the beginning of a remission compensation process to provide recovery for victims of the OneCoin international investment scheme. More than $40 million in forfeited assets are currently available for victim compensation.
Other
Dubai Police and UAE Ministry of Interior arrested a leading member of Scotland's Lyons crime family at Dubai International Airport following an Interpol Red Notice. The coordinated international operation resulted in fourteen arrests across four countries targeting organized crime networks.
Bribery & corruption
Almost 800 Hungarian government email addresses and associated passwords found circulating online, affecting 12 out of 13 ministries. Ministry for National Economy suffered 99 breaches, Ministry of Finance (merged 2025) suffered 145 breaches.
Federal grand juries indicted ten executives and employees of four cryptocurrency financial services firms (Gotbit, Vortex, Antier, and Contrarian) for orchestrating fraud schemes to artificially inflate trading volume and price of cryptocurrencies through 'wash trading.'
Fraud & scams
Prosecutor Aurelio Valdez Alcántara was detained on March 27, 2026 when he allegedly received USD $10,000 from a person under investigation, in a judicially authorized operation.
Money laundering
UK's Financial Conduct Authority issued decision March 13, 2026 banning Kasım Garipoğlu from financial activities.
Money laundering
French-language rapper GIMS formally charged March 27, 2026 with aggravated money laundering following arrest March 25, 2026 upon arrival at Paris airport.
FINTRAC imposed a penalty of CAD$91,162.50 on Northern Isga Foundation for multiple AML compliance failures including failure to develop and apply written compliance policies, assess and document risks, maintain ongoing compliance training programs, and institute a compliance program review plan.
On March 10, 2026, Luc Pastorel, CEO of SOS Oxygène group, was sentenced by the Paris court to twenty months suspended prison sentence and a €1.5 million fine for organized tax fraud.
Fraud & scams
The former Chief Executive Officer of Nodus International Bank pleaded guilty for leading a scheme to fraudulently obtain at least $24.9 million from Nodus Bank and conspiring to evade U.S. sanctions against Venezuela. The scheme involved efforts to evade U.S.
Money laundering
The Singapore Police and Monetary Authority of Singapore conducted joint enforcement operations against Capital Asia Investments Pte Ltd and its directors for suspected money laundering and regulatory violations. The Police seized more than S$160 million of assets, with two directors arrested.
UK Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation imposed £390,000 penalty on Apple Distribution International Limited (Irish subsidiary) for making two payments totaling £635,618.
Money laundering
The ACPR Sanctions Commission issued a reprimand and a pecuniary sanction of €1.3 million to MoneyGram International SA on 19 March 2026.
Money laundering
The federal government of Pakistan approved measures targeting informal money transfer systems in a high-level meeting co-chaired by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi.
Money laundering
High-level meeting chaired by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb decided on comprehensive crackdown against hundi-hawala mafia and money laundering. Joint Working Group formed between FIA and State Bank of Pakistan to monitor illegal cross-border fund transfers.
Money laundering
Pakistani government decided to launch comprehensive enforcement operation targeting illegal money transfers and underground hawala-hundi banking networks.
Other
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb announced formation of Joint Working Group comprising Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to combat illegal currency movements.
Fraud & scams
INTERPOL released 2026 Global Financial Fraud Threat Assessment and launched Operation Shadow Storm, UK-funded international task force to dismantle scam centers. Report warns AI-enhanced fraud is 4.
Bribery & corruption
In March 2026, Hong Kong's SFC and ICAC conducted a joint operation codenamed 'Fuse' on March 10-11 targeting insider dealing involving corruption. The operation searched 14 locations across Hong Kong, including two brokerages and a hedge fund, resulting in the arrest of eight people.
Bribery & corruption
An appeal hearing for former French President Nicolas Sarkozy's Libya corruption case ran from March 16 to June 2, 2026, where Transparency International France challenged the dismissal of corruption charges.
Money laundering
The 2026 US National Money Laundering Risk Report identifies Sinaloa Cartel and Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) as the two main transnational organized crime threats, capable of infiltrating banks, remittance companies, exchange houses, and law firms to recycle billions.
Sanctions
Investigation analyzing 2024-2025 foreign trade data identified over 6,000 companies trading with sanctioned Russian enterprises and defense contractors, including approximately 4,000 Chinese firms (Henan New Silk Road International delivered 100+ turbojet engines worth $3M to sanctioned Chipdevice…
The Insider investigation analyzed Russian companies' foreign trade data for 2024-2025 and identified over 6,000 foreign firms (including ~4,000 Chinese and Hong Kong, ~300 Turkish, 120 UAE, and 60 Indian companies) directly or indirectly supplying the Russian military-industrial complex while ignoring international sanctions.
Money laundering
Bellingcat investigation revealed Daniel and Christy Kinahan, leaders of €1.5 billion Kinahan cartel, photographed at Dubai MMA event in June 2025, marking most recent sighting since U.S. government placed multi-million dollar bounties on them.
A major MENA cybercrime operation (Operation Ramz) led to the arrest of 201 individuals, with a further 382 suspects identified. Investigators also identified 3,867 victims, seized 53 servers, and shared nearly 8,000 pieces of actionable intelligence between participating countries.
Money laundering
Luxembourg police raided EFG International, one of Switzerland's largest private banks, on 24 February 2026 as part of a probe into suspected money laundering, terrorist financing and alleged breaches of reporting obligations.
Fraud & scams
On 17 September 2026, the European Public Prosecutor's Office announced that the Milan General Court in Italy convicted six individuals following an investigation codenamed 'Operation Moby Dick' into a transnational VAT carousel fraud scheme estimated at €520 million.
Money laundering
Christopher Alexander Delgado, 34, Apopka, Florida, charged with operating Goliath Ventures (formerly Gen-Z Venture Firm) cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme (January 2023-January 2026).
Fraud & scams
INTERPOL-coordinated Operation Red Card 2.0 (December 8, 2025 - January 30, 2026) led law enforcement from 16 African countries to arrest 651 individuals and recover more than USD $4.3 million.
Fraud & scams
French authorities convicted organizers in fraud case involving Neuchâtel-based Fondation Elysium used to conceal €65 million from French tax authorities. In France, fraudsters have paid and trial of organizers concluded with convictions.
Money laundering
The Paris-based Financial Action Task Force (FATF) designated Kuwait to its grey list during a plenary meeting in Mexico, subjecting the Gulf nation to heightened international monitoring for money-laundering and terrorist-financing risks.
FATF added Kuwait and Papua New Guinea to jurisdictions under increased monitoring (grey list) at February 11-13, 2026 plenary. Both made high-level political commitments to strengthen AML/CFT regimes.
Bribery & corruption
Transparency International France published a report constituting an urgent call to action concerning public integrity. The organization emphasizes the need for comprehensive reforms to political financing before the next elections.
Bribery & corruption
Transparency International released its Corruption Perceptions Index 2025, showing the global CPI average dropped for the first time in more than a decade to just 42 out of 100. 122 out of 182 countries score under 50, signaling widespread public sector corruption.
Money laundering
Daren Li, 42 (dual national of China and St. Kitts and Nevis), sentenced in absentia to 20 years for conspiracy to launder $73.6 million obtained through cryptocurrency scams. Operations run from scam centers in Cambodia. Li laundered $59.8 million through U.S. shell companies.
Money laundering
Kuwait's Interior Ministry arrested 9 individuals of Arab nationalities as part of an international gang that laundered over 100 million Kuwaiti dinars (approximately 327 million dollars) since the establishment of shell companies in 2023.
Money laundering
Kuwait's Ministry of Interior dismantled an international criminal operation involved in cyberfraud, bank forgery and hawala smuggling. Nine individuals including a Jordanian ringleader were arrested.
Money laundering
Kuwait's Interior Minister oversaw the arrest of an organized international criminal group of Arab nationalities suspected of involvement in electronic fraud, money laundering, bank forgery, and unauthorized money transfers.
Money laundering
Renat Abramov, 36, Bank of America relationship manager in Brooklyn, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering for participating in scheme to launder $8+ million in fraudulently obtained Medicare reimbursements.
Money laundering
On February 18, 2026, a federal jury in Pennsylvania found Charles Hunter Hobson — a former U.S.-based coal company executive — guilty of violating the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and other federal criminal laws.
EU officially announced Russia's inclusion on anti-money laundering blacklist (list of countries with high risk of money laundering and terrorism financing), effective January 29, 2026.
Terrorist financing
Federal grand jury in Nebraska charged 31 additional individuals for roles in large conspiracy to deploy malware and steal millions from ATMs. Total of 87 defendants charged (with 6 more added in February, bringing total to 93).
Abu Dhabi Global Market's Financial Services Regulatory Authority published enforcement outcome against Wealthface Limited through enforceable undertaking, details of violations not publicly specified in regulatory actions table.
MASAK (Financial Crimes Investigation Board) implemented new anti-money laundering declaration requirements effective January 1, 2026.
Sanctions
On April 13, 2026, the Paris Criminal Court convicted Lafarge and four former senior executives of financing terrorism and violating international sanctions. The cement maker was found guilty of financing terrorist groups - notably the Islamic State - totaling €5.
Money laundering
On December 18, 2025, authorities conducted searches at the residences of Rachida Dati in Paris, as well as at the Paris 7th arrondissement city hall and the Culture Ministry.
Money laundering
EU's Anti-Money Laundering Authority (AMLA) launched consultations in February 2026 on three draft regulatory technical standards: (1) customer due diligence, (2) criteria for identifying business relationships, occasional transactions, and linked transactions, and (3) financial sanctions, administrative measures, and periodic penalty payments.
Bribery & corruption
UK convening Illicit Finance Summit originally scheduled June 23-24, 2026, rescheduled to December 2026 to enable broader participation and stronger commitments. Summit brings together financial hubs/jurisdictions to accelerate fight against corruption, dirty money.
A DIFC judge imposed a worldwide freeze on $456 million in assets tied to the alleged misappropriation of TrueUSD stablecoin reserves, with Justice Michael Black KC ordering injunctions against Dubai-based Aria Commodities DMCC.
Money laundering
Chen Zhi, founder and chairman of Prince Holding Group, charged with wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy for directing forced-labor scam compounds across Cambodia engaged in 'pig butchering' cryptocurrency fraud.
Bribery & corruption
United Kingdom convening Illicit Finance Summit in London June 23-24, 2026 (subsequently rescheduled to December 2026), bringing together financial hubs and jurisdictions to 'accelerate the fight against corruption and dirty money.'
Money laundering
Transparency International - Russia published investigation about Garantex crypto exchange, which the US called the largest Russian platform for money laundering and evading international sanctions.
Other
The Abu Dhabi Global Market Registration Authority imposed a total fine of $37,500 on Half Moon Investments Limited (HMIL) and its three directors—Shaukat Murad, Zia Murad, and Manuel Mateos—for repeatedly failing to submit financial statements on time.
Sanctions
UK designated cryptocurrency exchange Huobi Global (HTX), which channeled over $1.5 billion to Russia, along with 3 Georgian crypto exchanges and the A7 network that moved $9.3 billion through A7A5 ruble-backed stablecoin in four months.
Money laundering
Central Bank of UAE imposed Dh3 million penalty on UAE-based bank for violations of anti-money laundering regulations, part of intensified AML enforcement in preparation for June 2026 FATF Mutual Evaluation.
Money laundering
DOJ charged Michael Shannon Sims and Juan Carlos Reynoso with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering for operating OmegaPro, a multi-level marketing scheme that defrauded victims of over $650 million through false promises of 300% returns via foreign exchange trading.
Decree Law No. 76 for 2025 was issued amending certain provisions of Law No.
Money laundering
FBI arrested Russian crypto company founder in New York on allegations of laundering $500 million and evading sanctions imposed on Russia. Individual accused of conducting illicit financial operations to circumvent international restrictions through cryptocurrency platforms.
Tax evasion
The ADGM's Financial Services Regulatory Authority imposed penalties totaling AED 610,000 across 23 entities for violations of CRS and FATCA regulations.
According to Pakistan's National Accountability Bureau investigation, M/s Bahria Town Pvt Ltd. allegedly utilized an illicit Hawala/Hundi network within Pakistan to launder crime proceeds out of the country.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated three transnational criminal organizations for operating and materially supporting a Chinese-language illicit marketplace used by scam centers, money launderers, and other illicit actors to defraud Americans.
Other
Abu Dhabi Global Market's Financial Services Regulatory Authority fined the Hayvn Group USD 8.85 million (total penalties USD 12.
Money laundering
Transparency International published 'Connecting the Dots' on June 24, 2026, examining how corrupt money rarely moves in plain sight and is often hidden behind complex transactions, shell companies and intermediaries, then moved quickly across borders.
Money laundering
Kuwaiti authorities expanded an investigation into a suspected fraud network that allegedly manipulated raffle draws. An Egyptian woman was arrested at Kuwait International Airport as she allegedly attempted to flee.
Money laundering
DOJ, German, and Finnish authorities coordinated seizure of Garantex cryptocurrency exchange domains and servers, freezing over $26 million in illicit funds.
U.S. Treasury took sweeping action targeting Russia's primary revenue source with sanctions against major oil producers including Gazprom Neft and Surgutneftegas, more than 180 vessels—many part of the shadow fleet—along with opaque traders of Russian oil, Russia-based oilfield service providers,…
Dubai security authorities disrupted two international money laundering networks worth 641 million dirhams. First network involved 461 million dirhams with 25 suspects including an Emirati and British nationals.
Money laundering
UAE authorities dismantled two international networks involved in unlawful possession of funds and money laundering valued at 641 million dirhams.
US and UK announced exposure of TGR Group and Smart international network that helped Russian elites use cryptocurrency to bypass sanctions and launder money. Through TGR Group, Russian elites used digital assets, particularly dollar-backed stablecoins, to bypass US and international sanctions.
US and UK uncovered international money laundering network (Smart and TGR companies) operating in 30 countries, coordinated from Moscow, London, and Dubai. Networks helped Russian elites evade sanctions and laundered billions for drug traffickers, financial criminals, and foreign spies.
OFAC designated five individuals and four entities tied to TGR Group money laundering operation.
Money laundering
NCA Operation Destabilise exposed two Russian-speaking networks, Smart (led by Ekaterina Zhdanova) and TGR (led by George Rossi/Maksakov), laundering billions for Russian elites, cybercriminals, drug gangs, and firearms smugglers.
Money laundering
Financial Action Task Force (FATF) reported that Kuwait has appropriate legal and regulatory framework for anti-money laundering but noted serious deficiencies preventing effective results in combating money laundering and terrorist financing.
Money laundering
On February 18, 2026, a federal jury in Pennsylvania found Charles Hunter Hobson — a former U.S.-based coal company executive — guilty of violating the FCPA and other federal criminal laws for alleged bribes paid through a third party to secure lucrative contracts with a state-run company overseas.
The Council of Europe's MONEYVAL committee published a follow-up report on July 6, 2026, assessing Romania's technical compliance with FATF recommendations.
Abu Dhabi Global Market's Financial Services Regulatory Authority imposed a $360,000 fine on Wise Nuqud Ltd, a licensed money service provider, for failing to establish adequate anti-money laundering systems and controls.
Fraud & scams
World Bank updated its listing of debarred firms and individuals on May 5, 2026. As of March 31, 2026, the World Bank Debarment list includes 1,386 firms and individuals barred by World Bank Group from receiving Bank-financed contracts due to fraud, corruption or collusion.
Sanctions
The UK Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation imposed a monetary penalty of £1,000,920.
Fraud & scams
Bahrain participated in INTERPOL's Operation First Light 2026, a global fraud crackdown involving 97 countries that ran from January to April 2026, resulting in 5,811 arrests and the interception of $293 million in illicit assets, with authorities in Oman and other Gulf countries blocking a $6.
Other
In March 2026, Bahrain proposed a decree-law introducing tougher penalties—including possible jail terms and fines of up to BD1 million—for violations of regulations governing financial activities supervised by the Central Bank of Bahrain.
Money laundering
Bahrain is participating in an international anti-fraud operation coordinated by INTERPOL called Operation First Light 2026. The operation, which ran from January 15 to April 30, 2026, focused on combating social engineering scams and associated money laundering activities.
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Other
Bahrain's parliament has backed a decree-law proposing stricter penalties—including imprisonment and fines up to BD1 million—for operating unlicensed financial services.
The ACPR's Sanctions Commission issued a decision on March 19, 2026, against MoneyGram International SA for violations related to combating money laundering and terrorism financing.
FinCEN issued Alert FIN-2026-Alert005 warning financial institutions about digital asset investment scam centers and the laundering of their illicit proceeds. The alert revealed that approximately $12.
Securities & markets
On June 25, 2026, the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission obtained a worldwide freezing order against Lo Kai Bong and Major Success Group Limited in enforcement proceedings.
Trafficking
An OCCRP investigation found that two companies awarded security contracts at Mexico City International Airport—SERPROSEP SA de CV and Armour King SA de CV—have connections to individuals suspected of firearms trafficking to drug cartels.
Other
Gerard Grischew was sentenced to three years and 10 months in prison on June 10 in Berlin Regional Court for moving 33 million euros in illicit funds through the international financial system.
Money laundering
The Swiss government announced intentions to strengthen its anti-money laundering laws in a bill that, if passed, would bring its financial due diligence measures closer in line with international standards. The proposal includes enhanced transparency requirements and AML obligations for advisors.
FBI seized 13 domains used by suspected Chinese intelligence services to target current/former U.S. security clearance holders with fake consulting jobs since November 2023.
The UK Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) fined Gabbitas Robins £11,008 for AML file review failures and fined Macmillans Solicitors LLP £1,852 for AML framework failures. India's Reserve Bank (RBI) fined Pahal Financial Services Private Limited ₹3.1 Lakh for KYC shortcomings.
Chase Harris, 36, of Keller, Texas, pled guilty on June 22, 2026 to conspiracy to commit money laundering for his role in laundering proceeds from international technology-support fraud scheme targeting elderly victims. Scheme resulted in theft of more than $1.
On June 21, 2026, Elshan Askerov was transferred to Azerbaijan from the UAE by representatives of the Ministry of Justice's Main Department of International Cooperation and the Penitentiary Service.
Kuwait's Ministry of Finance and Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen financial crime prevention.
Financial Action Task Force updated grey list (Jurisdictions Under Increased Monitoring) to 22 jurisdictions in February 2026. Two newly added: Kuwait and Papua New Guinea. Four removed in October 2025 after demonstrating sufficient progress: Burkina Faso, Mozambique, Nigeria, and South Africa.
Bribery & corruption
Ekrem İmamoğlu, former Istanbul mayor and opposition leader, appeared in court facing 142 charges alongside 402+ co-defendants, primarily officials and associates of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality.
Financial Action Task Force published mutual evaluation report on Singapore on May 6, 2026, assessing effectiveness of country's AML/CFT/CPF measures based on July 2025 on-site visit. Singapore placed on Regular Follow-up (best monitoring tier), upgrading from Enhanced Follow-up status since 2016.
OFAC designated Hizballah-aligned Lebanese officials and members of a Hizballah-associated business network overseen by Alaa Hassan Hamieh. The Lebanese officials designated have used their influence to obstruct Lebanon's peace process and delay the disarmament of Hizballah.
Israel faces potential inclusion on FATF's (Financial Action Task Force) gray list for inadequate anti-money laundering and counterterrorism financing oversight.
The U.S. Department of State designated Chone Killers, an Ecuadorian gang, as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) on July 1, 2026. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the dual designation.
Rafael Contreras Ramos, 40, of Mexico, pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute controlled substances in South Carolina.
On March 5, 2026, the CSSF imposed an administrative fine of EUR 56,000 on Stonehage Fleming Luxembourg S.A. for non-compliance with anti-money laundering and counter financing of terrorism obligations, representing approximately 2% of the company's total annual turnover as of March 31, 2022.
OFAC designated Amin Exchange (Ebrahimi and Associates Partnership Company), significant player in Iran's foreign exchange market facilitating hundreds of millions for sanctioned Iranian entities.
Fraud & scams
Iraqi authorities seized approximately $107 million connected to massive embezzlement operation within Oil Ministry. Recovery included funds buried underground requiring heavy machinery to excavate.
Ruslan Igorevich Tkachuk (37) and Alexander Vladimirovich Ledenev (25), both from Batumi, Georgia, were arrested and charged with conspiracy to launder monetary instruments and sting money laundering for allegedly operating AudiA6, a cryptocurrency money laundering service that laundered over $389 million in Bitcoin since 2021.
FinCEN recognized seven cases that effectively used Bank Secrecy Act data to support criminal prosecutions, including the TD Bank case that resulted in almost $3.1 billion in penalties (the largest BSA penalty in U.S. history), a Backpage.
MONEYVAL reported that Romania has taken steps to enhance its anti-money laundering and terrorist financing measures but still needs to tackle some shortcomings.
Fraud & scams
The UK announced sanctions targeting individuals and entities linked to Cambodia's Prince Group, widely alleged to have operated a network of scam centers built on forced labor and human trafficking.
Money laundering
French and Romanian authorities arrested 13 people suspected of laundering at least €306 million ($364 million) in proceeds from drug trafficking and other crimes.
Royal Marine commandos and National Crime Agency officers conducted the UK's first-ever seizure of a sanctioned vessel on 14 June 2026 in a six-hour operation, boarding the oil tanker Smyrtos in international waters in the English Channel.
Money laundering
International law enforcement dismantled the AudiA6 cryptocurrency laundering service that processed over €336 million ($389 million) in criminal funds between 2022 and 2025.
The UK Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) fined Sabre Global Technologies £1,000,920 on 17 June 2026 for breaching UK sanctions on Russia, representing the largest sanctions breach penalty since 2020.
Fraud & scams
Nomma Zarubina, 35, sentenced to 14 months in prison for lying to FBI about ties to Russia's FSB intelligence agency and naturalization fraud related to interstate prostitution trafficking. FSB handlers assigned her codename 'Alyssa' and directed her to attend 2021 St.
Other
OCCRP investigation into the disappearance of Belarusian dissident Anatol Kotau reveals connections between yacht passengers and Belarusian state security contractors, including individuals linked to defense company BTS Global that produces military drones showcased at Belarus's 2025 war drills and has contracts with the Belarusian government.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury designated two individuals and nine entities connected to Mexican drug trafficking operations supporting the Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG).
The FBI announced that victims of the OneCoin international cryptocurrency investment scheme have until a June 30 deadline to apply for compensation through a special Department of Justice program.
The European Public Prosecutor's Office coordinated arrests, searches and seizures across Belgium, Czechia, and Poland in investigation into suspected €10 million VAT carousel fraud scheme.
FinCEN issued guidance urging banks to identify suspicious activity involving unlawful employment schemes, including identity theft, payroll fraud, and connections to transnational criminal organizations. Financial institutions reported over $2.
The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) added Kuwait to its grey list (jurisdictions under increased monitoring) in February 2026, following the conclusion of its plenary meeting on February 11-13, 2026, according to AML Watcher.
The UK Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) announced on 2 September 2026 a settlement of £4,732,830.58 with Citibank, N.A., London Branch for breaches of the UK's Russia and Global Anti-Corruption sanctions regimes.
Following FATF's September 3 report, DAWN reported warnings that hawala networks have grown increasingly sophisticated, with more than 45 jurisdictions and organizations including Pakistan and India providing feedback on the evolution of underground financial networks.
Money laundering
Vietnamese national and permanent U.S. resident Le Van Hung pleaded guilty before a New York court to conspiracy to commit identity theft as part of a transnational scheme to launder $67 million using data stolen from U.S. citizens.
Money laundering
According to Turkey's Justice Ministry, authorities detained 24 individuals and seized assets worth approximately $20.6 million in an operation targeting an alleged international drug trafficking network directed from Belgium.
OFAC announced transnational criminal organizations designations including Bo Chen, An Dai linked to Prince Group, and Xiao'er Chen linked to Grand Legend International Asset Management Group.
Bribery & corruption
Iraq abruptly canceled a $764 million contract to overhaul Baghdad International Airport amid mounting corruption allegations involving the bidding process and contract terms.
The U.S. Treasury Department designated three individuals and six entities across Europe, the Middle East, and West Africa for facilitating financial transactions on behalf of ISIS.
The member states of the Terrorist Financing Targeting Center (TFTC) — co-chaired by the United States and Saudi Arabia, with representatives from Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and the UAE — announced joint designations targeting five entities and 16 individuals linked to Hezbollah's financial infrastructure.
The U.S. Department of State designated the Juárez Cartel and Los Viagras as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) and Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs).
EU unveiled 21st sanctions package on June 9, 2026, targeting energy, financial services, cryptocurrencies, trade, and fisheries. Asset freezes on close to 90 banks and transaction bans on over 30 banks in Russia and third countries.
The Financial Action Task Force officially launched its 2026-2028 Roadmap on Combatting Fraud on the first day of the United Kingdom's FATF Presidency.
Royal Oman Police General Directorate of Investigation and Criminal Investigation thwarted an attempt to channel 6.6 million dollars from international electronic fraud into the local banking system.
Lawsuit filed by ZAKA board member alleges tens of millions of shekels donated through international ZAKA chapters (mainly US and France) since October 7 have disappeared.
Ministers from across the globe reiterated commitment to tackling illicit finance through multilateral coordinated action, agreeing to focus on the growing threat of fraud and strengthening risk-based implementation of FATF Standards.
The U.S. Department of State, under Secretary of State Marco Rubio, designated Los Tiguerones (also known as 'Los Fenix' or 'Los Igualitos') as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT).
Weidong 'Bill' Guan, 63, the former chief financial officer of The Epoch Times, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to engage in transactions involving criminal proceeds in a $67 million fraud scheme.
US announced sanctions targeting Iranian networks allegedly smuggling hundreds of millions of dollars of liquified petroleum gas to South and East Asia using UAE and China front companies and shadow fleet vessels.
An international drug trafficking investigation led by the Spanish National Police and supported by Europol has dismantled a clandestine money-transfer network known as the 'Dubai Bank'.
FATF added Iraq and Bosnia and Herzegovina to its global 'Gray List' on June 19, 2026, at the end of its latest triannual summit in Strasbourg, France. During the summit, Mali, Tanzania and Croatia exited the gray list after making significant progress against identified AML/CFT shortcomings.
Fraud & scams
Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA) report reveals three-quarters of European adults encountered scams in the past year, with criminal networks causing victims an estimated $57 billion in losses.
Money laundering
According to Ecuador's Prosecutor General's Office as reported by OCCRP, a court has convicted 15 people and 5 companies for money laundering related to international drug trafficking.
OFAC designated 35 entities and individuals facilitating Iran's shadow banking network processing tens of billions of dollars in sanctions evasion and terrorism financing.
OFAC designated over 30 individuals and entities tied to Iranian brothers Mansour, Nasser, and Fazlolah Zarringhalam who collectively laundered billions of dollars through Iran's shadow banking system via exchange houses and front companies in Hong Kong and UAE.
FinCEN issued an alert advising financial institutions to detect and report suspicious activity connected to Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG) and other Mexico-based transnational criminal organizations smuggling fuel from the United States into Mexico.
Money laundering
Iraqi authorities seized over $10 million hidden in a rainwater drainage pit during an ongoing corruption investigation into former Deputy Minister of Oil Adnan al-Jumaili. The total value of assets seized during the probe reached 127 billion Iraqi dinars (approximately $96.
The FATF indicated that if Myanmar makes no further progress by June 2026, it will consider countermeasures related to anti-money laundering deficiencies.
At G7 summit, UK designated 11 individuals and 32 entities under Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019, plus specified 27 ships including 20 oil tankers in Russia's shadow fleet.
The UK National Crime Agency and National Economic Crime Centre issued a nationwide Flash Alert (published September 1, 2026, formally announced August 31, 2026) detailing the A7 sanctions evasion network, which authorities allege was established by Russian-Moldovan businessman Ilan Shor and is…
Money laundering
OCCRP published an investigation revealing that a Warsaw-based company ultimately owned by Turkish gambling mogul Fedlan Kılıçaslan promoted online betting sites in Poland despite having no Polish license to do so.
Sanctions
Russian Ambassador Alexey Borodavkin stated that despite international sanctions pressure, Kazakhstan-Russia trade is projected to exceed $30 billion in 2026.
FATF updated list of high-risk jurisdictions with significant strategic deficiencies in regimes to counter money laundering, terrorist financing, and financing of proliferation. Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and Iran continue on high-risk list.
FATF updated list of jurisdictions under increased monitoring for strategic deficiencies in anti-money laundering, countering terrorist financing, and proliferation financing regimes. FATF now identifies Bosnia and Herzegovina and Iraq as newly-added jurisdictions under increased monitoring.
The FATF held its June plenary meeting, taking action to strengthen supervision of global finance and approving evaluations for Canada and Türkiye.
A vast international money laundering network linked to fake cryptocurrency investment fraud was dismantled in late October 2025, as announced by the Paris prosecutor's office in November 2025. Nearly $700 million were laundered online through this vast network.
Malone Lam, 22, a Singaporean citizen and Miami resident, pleaded guilty to one count of participating in a racketeering conspiracy (RICO) for leading an international cryptocurrency theft and money laundering operation.
Money laundering
INTERPOL announced results of Operation First Light 2026, which led to 5,811 arrests and the interception of USD 293 million in illicit assets across 97 countries.
Bahrain introduced prison sentences in addition to fines up to 1 million Bahraini dinars for operating financial services, insurance, or brokerage without Central Bank of Bahrain license.
According to Al Tamol, Oman's Royal Police executed a major operation in Sohar, dismantling an alleged international fraud ring operating across 33 locations. Over 380 suspects from five Asian nationalities were reportedly arrested.
Juan Romo-Padilla, 58, owner of La Posada restaurant and money remitter in Southwest Detroit, was arrested on September 3, 2026, on charges of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments, international money laundering, laundering of represented drug proceeds, and Bank Secrecy Act violations.
In August 2026, the U.S. Department of State announced actions to dismantle a web of currency exchange houses and shell companies that helped Iran secretly move hundreds of millions of dollars through the international financial system.
Sanctions
The U.S. Treasury's OFAC designated Golden Global Yatirim Bankasi Anonim Sirketi (Golden Global Bank), a Turkey-based financial institution, and two subsidiaries under E.O. 13902.
The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) published its seventh Targeted Update on Implementation of the FATF Standards on Virtual Assets and Virtual Asset Service Providers on July 16, 2026, highlighting that while more countries have introduced legislation to regulate virtual assets, many are still…
Money laundering
Spanish authorities and Europol dismantled an international cocaine and money laundering network known as the 'Dubai Bank,' arresting 21 people and identifying EUR 20 million in illicit assets. The investigation began after intercepting a cocaine-laden ship in 2021.
Sergei Anatolyevich Filimonov, 36, a Russian web developer, was extradited from Georgia and arraigned in Atlanta on fraud and aggravated identity theft charges.
Spanish National Police, supported by Europol and authorities from the Netherlands, Sweden, and the United States, dismantled an underground banking network called the 'Dubai Bank' that financed major drug trafficking operations worldwide.
Other
According to OCCRP, Kamchybek Tashiev, former head of Kyrgyzstan's GKNB security agency, was convicted in July 2026 of attempting to violently seize power. Tashiev received a four-year sentence reduced to three years supervised probation.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control took action against Dubai-based Iranian businessman Ali Ansari, who allegedly oversees a sprawling global network of assets benefitting Iran's leader Mojtaba Khamenei and other regime elites, according to Treasury.
The Financial Action Task Force released a joint report with the OECD based on feedback from 45 jurisdictions and organisations, including India and Pakistan, warning that underground banking networks and hawala have become increasingly sophisticated and professional.
OFAC sanctioned a Russia-China-Kyrgyzstan payment scheme facilitating cross-border payments for sensitive goods through regional clearing platforms (RCPs).
OFAC designated network generating revenue for Hezbollah through hawala exploiting Lebanon's cash-based economy. Proceeds from Iranian oil sales routed through exchange shops (sarrafs) in Dubai and transferred to Hezbollah in Lebanon using hawala.
OFAC designated six entities and individuals in China, India, Russia, and Iran for supporting Iran's Mahan Air airline and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Trafficking
According to OCCRP, a Spanish-led international police operation supported by Europol arrested 78 suspects in Spain and Algeria, allegedly dismantling a violent smuggling network operating across the western Mediterranean.
Fraud & scams
According to OCCRP, Papua New Guinea police raided a Port Moresby property and discovered 39 Indonesian citizens believed to be trafficking victims forced to work in a cyber scam compound.
Marcos Arturo Kleiman Tronllan, 40, CEO of Moneyflip LLC (formerly MXN Financial LLC), was arrested in Miami on charges related to an alleged murder-for-hire scheme.
Money laundering
According to OCCRP, Daniel Kinahan was extradited from Dubai and charged with directing organized crime activities in Ireland. U.S. authorities previously alleged the network was involved in international drug and arms trafficking and money laundering.
The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) published its seventh Targeted Update on Implementation of the FATF Standards on Virtual Assets and Virtual Asset Service Providers, warning that organised crime groups are exploiting regulatory gaps to move billions in illicit proceeds through the crypto sector.
Fraud & scams
According to Treasury, Xinbi Guarantee is a Chinese-language illicit online marketplace that allegedly processed over $24 billion in digital and fiat currency since 2022, serving scam center operators in Southeast Asia and other transnational criminal syndicates.
Nineteen defendants including home healthcare workers and owners of home healthcare companies were charged by federal indictment in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania with health care fraud and other offenses for schemes allegedly defrauding Pennsylvania's Medicaid program of over $5.76 million.
Trafficking
According to OCCRP, law enforcement in Spain and Ecuador dismantled an international cocaine trafficking organization, arresting 44 suspects and allegedly seizing 21 tonnes of cocaine.
Other
According to OCCRP, the US Department of the Treasury has permanently eliminated beneficial ownership reporting requirements for domestic companies under the Corporate Transparency Act. FinCEN announced it will delete all previously collected beneficial ownership data regarding US business owners.
Other
According to OCCRP, South African investigative journalist Micah Reddy, the African coordinator for the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), and local fixer Kooki Mahmoud went missing in Djibouti on September 20, 2026. Contact was lost around 1 p.m. local time.
Fraud & scams
According to OCCRP, the European Public Prosecutor's Office arrested another suspect in its 'Escape Room' investigation into a cross-border VAT carousel fraud scheme spanning Austria, Belgium, Germany, Latvia, the Netherlands, and Poland.
Securities & markets
According to the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC), the Court of First Instance ruled on September 11, 2026 that worldwide freezing orders against Lo Kai Bong, chairman and controlling shareholder of LET Group Holdings and Summit Ascent Holdings, should continue.
OFAC designated two Mexican nationals and nine entities for facilitating a fuel theft scheme involving cross-border smuggling, falsified customs documents, and shell companies linked to the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG).
OFAC designated the Chone Killers, an Ecuadorian transnational terrorist group, under counter-terrorism authorities. The group was added to the Specially Designated Nationals list.
Financial Action Task Force (FATF) announced removal of Algeria and Namibia from its grey list and addition of Iraq and Bosnia-Herzegovina on June 20, 2026. The article notes FATF had previously placed UAE on its grey list in March 2022 (UAE was removed in February 2024).
A pre-trial hearing took place on 28-29 September 2026 at Southwark Crown Court in London in the case R v Zuneth Sattar.
Money laundering
Iraqi investigators continued their relentless sweep of properties tied to Adnan al-Jumaili, former Deputy Minister of Oil for Refining Affairs, uncovering another cache of wealth—including four kilograms of gold jewelry and $200,000 in cash.
Yuniel Lima-Santos, 31, a Cuban national living in Tampa, pleaded guilty to multiple federal charges in an international operation that smuggled Cuban nationals into the United States, submitted fraudulent immigration applications, and moved proceeds through financial transactions and shell companies.
The Financial Action Task Force released its mutual evaluation report for Turkey on 23 September 2026, placing the country under 'enhanced follow-up' due to significant deficiencies in money-laundering prosecutions.
Other
Philippine authorities arrested Kim Youngsun, 29, a South Korean national, for her alleged role as assistant manager supervising units of an illegal online gambling operation, according to OCCRP. The operation allegedly ran 23 illicit gambling websites generating approximately $3.
Money laundering
Liberian prosecutors have charged former Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor with drug trafficking, money laundering, and criminal conspiracy in connection with an alleged transnational narcotics network, according to OCCRP.
Money laundering
According to OCCRP, a Yerevan court ordered Sedrak Kocharyan held in pretrial detention for two months following his arrest alongside his father, former President Robert Kocharyan.
OFAC sanctioned nine individuals and entities on June 10, 2026 for supporting weapons procurement for Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL).
FATF published a 'Targeted Report on Regulatory Challenges from Decentralised Finance' highlighting how DeFi's unique features are being increasingly exploited by illicit actors, including fraudsters, ransomware operators, professional money laundering networks and proliferation financing actors.
Ireland's Tánaiste and Minister for Finance Simon Harris, along with Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan, launched Ireland's National Risk Assessment on Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Proliferation Financing together with a new 30-Point Action Plan.
Money laundering
According to OCCRP, a Milan court sentenced six individuals to prison terms of four to seven years and ordered confiscation of over €300 million for their roles in 'Operation Moby Dick,' a European Public Prosecutor's Office investigation into transnational VAT fraud and money laundering.
FINTRAC imposed a $212,025 administrative penalty on Atlantic Lottery on May 29, 2026, after finding compliance violations including failure to submit a suspicious transaction report, failure to keep written compliance policies up to date, and failure to assess and document financial crime risks, according to FINTRAC.
Money laundering
An international anti-fraud operation coordinated by Interpol resulted in 5,811 arrests and the interception of $293 million in illicit assets across 97 countries between January 15 and April 30, 2026.
OFAC designated two Brazilian nationals, three Brazilian companies, and one Portuguese company for their links to Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC), described as the largest transnational criminal organization in the Western Hemisphere.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control announced designations targeting a transnational criminal network involved in cocaine trafficking from Ecuador linked to violent gangs and Mexican cartels.
OFAC announced the removal of Syria's designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism and revoked the designation of al-Nusrah Front as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist organization, removing HTS from the Specially Designated Nationals List.
The African Development Bank announced the debarment of Martin Obiero Achieng for 24 months with conditional release, taking effect from January 28, 2026.
Terrorist financing
Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) has charged Telegram founder Pavel Durov with allegedly aiding terrorist activity and placed him on an international wanted list, according to OCCRP.
Iraqi authorities conducted sweeping anti-corruption raids in Baghdad, resulting in the arrest of dozens of current and former officials, lawmakers, and public figures accused of financial and administrative corruption.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) updated the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List on August 18, 2026, with International Criminal Court-related designations and a Venezuela-related designation.
Money laundering
Abdullah Anwar, 28, reportedly of Pakistani origin with ties to Karachi and a resident of Garland, Texas, was arrested in Qatar on July 10, 2026, and extradited to the United States.
Money laundering
OCCRP reported on 24 July 2026 that Britain's National Crime Agency has frozen 16 luxury apartments in central London, worth at least $30 million, owned by Xu Haika, described as a Chinese, Cambodian and Vanuatu national who is under investigation as a suspect in Singapore's largest ever money laundering case.
Bribery & corruption
According to South Africa's Hawks, a 37-year-old businessman was arrested at OR Tambo International Airport in connection with an investigation into alleged corruption at Tembisa Hospital involving R635 million (approximately $37 million).
Trafficking
Dutch authorities arrested 34 people following a deadly shootout in the village of Overasselt near the German border, according to OCCRP. The incident occurred around 4:00 a.m.
According to Dawn, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) stopped Sitara Chemical Industries Limited owner Mian Muhammad Idrees at Lahore airport after his name was placed on a no-fly list in connection with an alleged Rs11.
The U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control designated three Turkey-based entities to the Specially Designated Nationals List on 4 September 2026: Golden Global Yatirim Bankasi Anonim Sirketi, Golden Global Portfoy Yonetimi Anonim Sirketi, and Golden Global Varlik Kiralama…
Money laundering
French and Italian authorities, coordinated by Eurojust and Europol together with Kosovar authorities, seized criminal assets worth EUR 1 million in an investigation into an international money laundering network that uses gold bars to launder drug trafficking profits.
The Financial Action Task Force published a report stating that decentralised finance (DeFi) is being increasingly exploited by fraudsters, ransomware operators, professional money laundering networks, and proliferation financing actors, according to FATF.
The Financial Action Task Force published its seventh targeted update on the global implementation of anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing measures to virtual assets and virtual asset service providers.
The Financial Action Task Force published a report highlighting the urgent need for authorities and the private sector to work together to combat money laundering, terrorist financing, and proliferation financing amid increased digitalization and complex cross-border transactions, according to FATF.