How Funny Money Helps Russia Skirt Western Sanctions
Fake banknotes resembling Monopoly money are being used to move rubles over borders as part of an effort to circumvent Western sanctions on the Russian Federation, according to new reporting by the Financial Times.
U.N. Exempts 17 Humanitarian Aid Projects from Sanctions on North Korea
A United Nations committee has approved exemptions from North Korea sanctions to allow a new round of humanitarian aid projects to proceed, Reuters reported on Friday, citing an unnamed diplomatic source.
DOJ Turns Sights on Mexican Brokers and Crypto Networks Used to Launder Drug Money
The U.S. Justice Department is increasingly targeting corrupt Mexican money brokers in an attempt to disrupt the financial networks used to launder cartel drug proceeds via cryptocurrency and other means, the Associated Press reported.
U.S. Threatens Algeria with CAATSA Sanctions over Russian Jet Fighter Deal
The United States has warned it could impose sanctions on Algeria over reports the North African country is moving ahead with a purchase of Russia’s Sukhoi Su-57E stealth fighter jets.
Top Democrat to Probe Trump’s $500m Crypto Deal with UAE ‘Spy Sheik’
A top Democratic lawmaker has opened a congressional probe into the $500-million investment deal between representatives of Abu Dhabi’s “spy sheik” and the Trump family’s crypto firm World Liberty Financial, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Crypto Companies Offer Concessions to Advance Stalled Senate Bill
Crypto companies are pitching new concessions to banks in an effort to keep a sweeping digital-asset market-structure bill moving in the Senate, with proposals that would give community banks a larger role in the stablecoin ecosystem.
Uzbek Mining Giant Awards $200m in Tenders to Secretive Network of Foreign Firms
Uzbekistan’s state-owned mining giant Almalyk Mining-Metallurgical Complex (AMMC) has awarded more than $200 million in procurement tenders to 10 foreign firms whose ownership and business activity are murky, including companies that reported themselves as “dormant” or “inactive,” OCCRP reported.
EU’s New AML Supervisor Set for Full Launch in 2028
The European Union’s new Anti-Money Laundering Authority said it is on track to become fully operational in 2028, setting out a multi-year plan that flags emerging illicit-finance threats ranging from crypto-assets to “novel payment channels.”
Spain’s Top Economic-Crimes Cop and Royal Scion Accused of Running Drug Ring
A Spanish police corruption investigation has widened into a narcotics and money-laundering scandal that links a senior economic-crimes investigator and a son of the Duke of Seville to an international drug-trafficking ring, The Times reported.
Epstein Invested Millions in Coinbase Six Years after Child Prostitution Conviction
Convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein made an early investment into Coinbase Global Inc. in 2014, putting roughly $3 million into the crypto exchange, according to emails released by the U.S. Department of Justice and reviewed by Decrypt.
