Financial Institutions Failing to Identify Activity Linked to Illicit Mining: Report
Banks and investors are failing to adequately screen for illegal mining risks even when operating in sectors highly exposed to the trade, according to a report by the World Wide Fund for Nature and financial-crime risk platform Themis.
Russia’s Latest Shadow-Fleet Cargo: GRU Veterans and Wagner Mercenaries
Russian military veterans, including former Wagner mercenaries and men linked to the GRU, have been deployed aboard tankers in Moscow’s “shadow fleet” moving sanctioned oil through the Baltic Sea.
DOJ and Halkbank to Settle Sanctions-Evasion Case with DPA
The U.S. Justice Department is poised to resolve its long-running criminal case against Turkey’s state-owned Halkbank through a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA).
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).