Illicit Finance | Certain Risk

A postcard showing a Flock of coral flamingos at Hialeah Park, Miami, Florida — “Flock of coral flamingos at Hialeah Park, Miami, Florida” — Boston Public Library, licensed under CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/). Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/boston_public_library/8006278672 (edited/modified).

Florida Officials Put Sanctions Pressure on Businesses with Cuban Ties

South Florida Republican officials are pressing for tougher scrutiny of businesses that send goods or provide services linked to Cuba, the Miami Herald reported.

A photo of Gautam Adani sitting in a room. — “Ilham Aliyev met with Founder and Chairman of Adani Group in Davos 01” by Press Service of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan (President.az), via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ilham_Aliyev_met_with_Founder_and_Chairman_of_Adani_Group_in_Davos_01.jpg), CC BY 4.0. Edited using AI.

Bank Records Bolster Claims of Adani Group Stock Manipulation

As allegations swirled in 2023 that the Adani Group’s yearslong stock rally was driven by insider manipulation, two close associates of the Adani family privately admitted to their bankers that they held billions of dollars in the conglomerate’s shares through multiple hedge funds, according to bank records.

A photo of Peruvian interim president José Jerí seated at a table with others. — “COMISIÓN DE PRESUPUESTO DEL CONGRESO DE LA REPÚBLICA EN MUNICIPALIDAD DE SAN JUAN DE LURIGANCHO” by MINISTERIO DE DEFENSA DEL PERÚ, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (edited)

Peru’s Interim President Removed from Office Amid Corruption Claims

Peru’s Congress voted Tuesday to remove interim President José Jerí from office as he faces corruption and influence-peddling allegations, plunging the country into another bout of political instability just weeks before April’s presidential and congressional elections, according to France 24.

An image of a pack of Manchester United Kingdom black-market cigarettes with a smoking cigarette beside it.

How Kazem Hamad Seized Control of Australia’s Black Market for Cigarettes

Crime boss Kazem Hamad has taken a major financial stake in the Manchester tobacco company in Dubai, cementing his cartel’s control over Australia’s illicit cigarette market from manufacturing and smuggling through to retail sales in suburban shops.

A photo of former EU Commissioner for Justice Didier Reynders, smiling as he looks at something off camera — “EU2024BE 240220 GAC Council UE JNZT 0044 (53541247485).jpg” — Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union / Julien Nizet, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/). Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:EU2024BE_240220_GAC_Council_UE_JNZT_0044_(53541247485).jpg

Two Associates of Ex-EU Commissioner Charged as Dirty-Money Probe Grows

Belgian prosecutors have charged two people close to former European Commissioner Didier Reynders as part of a money-laundering investigation that until now had focused on Reynders alone.

A photo of yellow cake uranium, a solid form of uranium oxide produced from uranium ore. Yellow cake must be processed further before it is made into nuclear fuel. Courtesy of Energy Fuels Inc.

Niger Wants to Sell 1,000 Tons of Uranium. ISIS Wants to Seize It

A shipment of about 1,000 tons of uranium moved out of northern Niger in recent months and is now stranded at a military airbase in the capital, Niamey, where it faces heightened security risks after an attack by Islamic State militants.

A black and white photo of the exterior of the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris with a figure silhouetted. — “Institut du Monde Arabe” — Alexandre Duret-Lutz, via Flickr, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/). Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/gadl/309701241/ (cropped and modified)

French Police Raid Arab World Institute in Tax Fraud Case Tied to Epstein

Police raided the Arab World Institute in Paris on Monday as prosecutors widened an investigation into former French culture minister Jack Lang and his daughter, Caroline, over suspected financial links to Jeffrey Epstein.

A photo of German Galushchenko, the former Energy Minister of Ukraine — “EU2024BE 240415 Informal meeting of Energy Ministers Egmont Palace JNZT 0185 (53655623401).jpg” — Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union / Julien Nizet, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/). Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:EU2024BE_240415_Informal_meeting_of_Energy_Ministers_Egmont_Palace_JNZT_0185_(53655623401).jpg

Ukraine’s Ex-Energy Minister Charged with Money Laundering after Flee Attempt

Ukraine’s anti-corruption authorities on Monday accused former energy minister German Galushchenko of laundering millions of dollars in kickbacks in a high-profile corruption case that has shaken the wartime government.

Hurley Set to Exit Treasury Amid Dispute over Sanctions Policy

The top Trump administration official leading U.S. sanctions policy and the nation’s financial intelligence unit is set to exit the role amid friction with his boss, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

A photo of a Wagner Group militant wearing a uniform with a Wagner Group patch on the arm — “PMC wagner in belarus 2” (20 July 2023) by Информационное агентство БелТА, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:PMC_wagner_in_belarus_2.png), licensed under CC BY 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/). Cropped

Russia’s Wagner Group is Finding New Recruits to Conduct Attacks in Europe

Recruiters and propagandists who previously worked for Russia’s Wagner Group have become a key channel for Kremlin-directed sabotage operations in Europe, the Financial Times reported.