AUSTRAC Fines Crypto ATM Operator as Scam Concerns Grow
Australia’s financial crimes watchdog has fined a second crypto ATM provider in a widening crackdown on machines increasingly linked to money laundering and scams, the country’s ABC News reported.
Mexico’s Banks Look to Tighten AML Controls after U.S. Crackdown
Mexico’s banking lobby is urging lenders to adopt tougher rules on illicit finance that go beyond current law, after U.S. authorities moved to sever three Mexican firms from the American financial system for allegedly laundering money for fentanyl traffickers, according to Bloomberg.
Ex-Director of U.S. Defense Contractor Pleads Guilty to Selling Trade Secrets
A former director at Trenchant, an L3Harris Technologies subsidiary that develops offensive cyber tools, pleaded guilty Wednesday to stealing and reselling trade secrets worth $35 million to a Russian broker whose clients include the Russian government, Bloomberg reported.
How the Trumps Struck Crypto Gold from Questionable Sources
Eric and Donald Trump Jr. have turned a family-branded cryptocurrency venture into a cash machine that eclipses the Trump Organization’s traditional businesses, according to a Reuters investigation that traces opaque token purchases by overseas investors and a wave of U.S. policy shifts friendly to digital assets.
U.S. Lifts Sanctions on Bosnia’s Milorad Dodik after Lobbying by Trump Allies
The Trump administration has lifted U.S. sanctions on Milorad Dodik, the powerful Serbian nationalist who led Republika Srpska in Bosnia and Herzegovina until earlier this month, following an intensive lobbying effort by figures close to former President Donald Trump.
Growing Mafia Power Puts Belgium at Risk of Becoming ‘Narco-State’: Judge
Belgium is in danger of evolving into a “narco-state” as organized crime penetrates key institutions and exploits Antwerp’s giant port to smuggle cocaine into Europe, an investigating judge warned in an open letter cited by the Financial Times.
Westpac Hit with A$20-Million Fine over Home‑Loan Violations
Australia’s Federal Court has ordered Westpac’s mortgage brand RAMS Financial Group to pay A$20 million (about US$13 million) after finding widespread breaches in the way it arranged home loans, including approvals supported by falsified pay slips, Reuters said.
EU Lawmakers Urge Tougher Global Crackdown on Wildlife Trafficking
European lawmakers will push for wildlife trafficking to be recognized as organized crime by 2030 and for tougher global enforcement at next month’s United Nations meeting on endangered species, Euronews reported.
U.S. Sanctions Colombia’s President, Alleging Aid to Drug Traffickers
The U.S. Treasury Department designated Colombian President Gustavo Petro and several of his family members and associates, alleging his policies have fueled record cocaine production and benefited narco-traffickers.
FATF Removes South Africa, Nigeria, Mozambique and Burkina Faso from ‘Grey List’
Sub-Saharan Africa’s two largest economies, South Africa and Nigeria, were delisted Friday from a global watchdog’s roster of jurisdictions under increased monitoring for illicit money flows, alongside Mozambique and Burkina Faso.