To Russia, With Postage: How to Ship Banned Goods from Berlin to Moscow
A German logistics company has exploited gaps in European postal and customs rules to move sanctioned goods from Germany to Russia, undermining the EU’s effort to choke off supplies to Moscow.
Hungary Calls for Russia Sanctions Lift, Mulls Keeping Seized Ukrainian Funds
Hungary has shifted from opposing a new EU sanctions package targeting Russia to calling on its fellow EU member-states to lift all restrictions on Moscow’s fossil-fuel industry.
UAE Weighs Iran Asset Freezes in Response to Drone and Missile Attacks
The United Arab Emirates is considering freezing billions of dollars in Iranian assets held in the Gulf state, a move that could sharply restrict Tehran’s access to foreign currency and global trade networks.
U.S. Treasury Eases Restrictions on Russian Oil Sales as Crude Costs Rise
The United States is temporarily easing sanctions on Russian oil sales to India with a 30-day waiver aimed at preventing supply shortages and cushioning a sharp rise in crude prices after U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran.
Stablecoins Now Commonly Used in Illicit Finance, FATF Warns
The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) said that stablecoins are now commonly used in money laundering, terrorist financing, and proliferation financing schemes, and warned that peer-to-peer transfers via unhosted wallets represent a key vulnerability for the crypto ecosystem.
Kyrgyzstan Poised to Challenge EU Over Potential Russia Sanctions
Kyrgyzstan is prepared to take the European Union to court if Brussels imposes sanctions on the Central Asian state over allegations it has helped funnel restricted goods to Russia.
U.S. Slaps Sanctions on Rwanda Months After Ballyhooing Peace Accords
The U.S. Treasury Department on Monday imposed sanctions on Rwanda’s military and four senior officials, accusing them of backing the March 23 Movement (M23) armed group in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Re-Export Scheme Keeps Russian Aircraft Flying Despite Sanctions
Russia continues to receive large volumes of Western-made aviation parts through third-country intermediaries despite EU and U.S. sanctions.
Tether Has Frozen Billions of Dollars in Crypto Linked to Illicit Activity
Stablecoin issuer Tether said it has frozen about $4.2 billion of its USDT tokens over links to “illicit activity,” with most of the freezes occurring in the past three years, as authorities worldwide intensify efforts to curb crypto-related crime.
When the ‘Person with Significant Control’ Isn’t Really a Person
Two cryptocurrency exchanges registered in the United Kingdom and marketed as processing more than $1 billion a day were fronted by a purported executive who “doesn’t seem to exist” and was instead portrayed using stock footage, OCCRP reported.