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.
FinCEN Flags $9-Billion Iranian ‘Shadow Banking’ Network
The U.S. Treasury Department disclosed the existence of roughly $9 billion in 2024 financial activity tied to Iranian “shadow banking,” mapping a web of front companies and intermediaries used to sell sanctioned oil, launder illicit proceeds, and procure banned technology.
U.S. Slaps Sweeping Sanctions on Russia’s Lukoil and Rosneft as Ukraine Talks Stall
The United States imposed expansive new sanctions Wednesday on Russia’s two largest oil companies, Lukoil and Rosneft, escalating U.S. economic pressure as negotiations to end the war in Ukraine falter.
Mexican Cartel Turns to ‘Dark Fleet’ to Smuggle Fuel from U.S. and Canada
One of Mexico’s most powerful drug cartels is smuggling gasoline and diesel into the Port of Ensenada with the aid of a “dark fleet” tanker and a Houston-based company, according to an investigation by Reuters.
Ten Years On, Iran Nuke Deal Ends with a Whimper
Iran has announced the official end of the 2015 nuclear agreement, saying it is no longer bound by the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and that all restrictions and related mechanisms under the accord are terminated, The Guardian reported.
NY Jury Weighs Whether BNP Paribas Enabled Sudan Atrocities
A federal jury in Manhattan began deliberations Thursday on claims that BNP Paribas helped enable atrocities in Sudan under former ruler Omar al-Bashir in a civil case brought by Sudanese survivors, Le Monde and AFP reported.
Sanctioned Shadow Fleet Ships Linked to Assad Corruption and Looted Ukrainian Grain
Three cargo vessels recently sanctioned by the EU for operating in Russia’s “shadow fleet” were quietly sold out of Syria’s state fleet in 2023 for $1 each to an offshore company in the Seychelles, according to new reporting by OCCRP and its Syrian partner SIRAJ.
U.S. and UK Blacklist Pig-Butchering Scammers, Seize $15 Billion in Bitcoin
U.S. and UK authorities seized roughly $15 billion in Bitcoin and multiple London properties allegedly linked to a sprawling online fraud scheme based in Cambodia.
In Turkey’s Grand Bazaar, Some See Signs of Large-Scale Sanctions Busting
One of the world’s oldest marketplaces is doubling as a modern hub for sanctions evasion and large-scale money laundering, according to experts who spoke to The New York Post.
Consumer Data Giant’s Russian Subsidiary Expands Business in Occupied Ukraine
NIQ, the world’s largest consumer-data provider, has been conducting business in occupied Ukraine despite international sanctions against the Russian Federation, the Financial Times reported.