Money Laundering | Certain Risk

Photo of the CaixaBank building, Barcelona — Jordiferrer, “Torre de CaixaBank” (8 October 2011), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Torre_de_CaixaBank.jpg License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ Edits: cropped and overlaid text/graphics.

Spain’s AML Watchdog Fines CaixaBank €30mn over Real-Estate Deal

CaixaBank has been hit with several fines totaling more than €30 million by Spain’s anti-money laundering watchdog, Sepblac, over a legacy real-estate transaction.

A display of various denominations of bank notes on a table. — Source: Europol

Spain Targets Nigeria’s ‘Black Axe’ Network in Criminal Crackdown

Spanish National Police, working with Germany’s Bavarian State Criminal Police Office and supported by Europol, arrested 34 people in Spain during an operation against the international criminal organization known as “Black Axe,” Europol announced.

Actor Kevin Spacey in a tuxedo, smiling. — “Kevin Spacey-9262.jpg” by Harald Krichel, via Wikimedia Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kevin_Spacey-9262.jpg Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Elite Portuguese Prosecutors Take Over Dirty-Crypto Probe into Spacey Producer

An elite unit of Portugal’s Public Prosecutor’s Office has taken over a money-laundering investigation involving Elvira Gavrilova Paterson, a Ukrainian movie producer who helped promote alleged crypto frauds linked to Russian entrepreneur Vladimir Okhotnikov, according to the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists.

TD Bank local branch location. — “MTA Flatbush South 76 - TD Bank” by Tdorante10, via Wikimedia Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:MTA_Flatbush_South_76_-_TD_Bank.jpg Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Ex-TD Bank Employee Pleads Guilty to Helping Launder $474 Million

A former TD Bank employee pleaded guilty to conspiring to launder monetary instruments after prosecutors said he used his position to help a money-laundering network move hundreds of millions of dollars through the institution.

UK Law Firms Brace for Tougher AML Regime Under FCA Oversight

UK law firms are preparing for more stringent oversight of their anti-money laundering (AML) programs after the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) was designated as the compliance supervisor for the legal sector, The Guardian reported.

Two hands shaking, passing money between them.

How the Trump Administration Upended White-Collar Prosecutions in 2025

Donald Trump’s return to the presidency has marked a stark shift in white-collar crime enforcement, with federal prosecutors and investigators stepping back from complex foreign-bribery, money-laundering, and corruption cases, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Nigeria’s Ex-Justice Minister Malami Faces 16 Counts of Money Laundering

Abubakar Malami, Nigeria’s former attorney general and minister of justice, has been charged with 16 counts of money laundering and conspiracy involving billions of naira, Reuters reported.

Najib Razak waving his hands during an interview. — “Mohd Najib Bin Tun Abdul Razak World Economic Forum 2013” — World Economic Forum (25 Jan 2013), via Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mohd_Najib_Bin_Tun_Abdul_Razak_World_Economic_Forum_2013.jpg Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/ Changes: cropped

Malaysia’s Ex-Leader Razak Sentenced to 15 Years in Sprawling 1MDB Case

Malaysia’s High Court sentenced ex-Prime Minister Najib Razak to 15 years in prison after convicting him on 25 charges of money laundering and abuse of power linked to the looting of the 1MDB sovereign-wealth fund, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Australia’s Bendigo Bank Dinged after Deloitte Flags AML Weaknesses

Australian regulators took coordinated action on Thursday to address weaknesses in the anti-money laundering and risk-management controls of Bendigo and Adelaide Bank, including the imposition of a A$50 million operational-risk capital charge.

Properties of France’s Culture Minister Dati Raided in Corruption Probe

Authorities raided the residential properties and offices of French Culture Minister Rachida Dati on Thursday as part of a corruption probe linked to her previous tenure as a member of the European Parliament, Bloomberg reported.