Asia News

Authorities in Taiwan have brought charges against 20 individuals accused of participating in a large-scale money laundering operation that allegedly channelled more than TWD33 billion (approximately $1.03 billion) through casinos in Macau. Prosecutors described the operation as the “nation’s first cross-border casino money laundering case”. According to investigators, the scheme involved directing illicit gambling proceeds into credit accounts assigned to designated intermed

On March 17, 2026, the Monetary Authority of Singapore took decisive enforcement action against two former relationship managers implicated in a sprawling three-billion-dollar money laundering scandal, issuing strict prohibition orders that underscore the city-state’s zero-tolerance stance on financial misconduct. Wang Qiming was handed a sweeping sixteen-year ban, while Liu Kai received a seven-year prohibition, both following their criminal convictions in late 2025. These s

Banking institutions in Hong Kong are increasingly turning to advanced automated technologies to manage the growing complexities of corporate oversight. A notable example of this shift is the collaboration between DBS Bank Hong Kong and Know Your Customer Limited, which illustrates how anti-money laundering frameworks are being modernized in a rapidly evolving financial environment. By embedding artificial intelligence into its onboarding systems, the bank is working to remov

Central Bank of Sri Lanka has issued a significant warning through a newly released national report highlighting a sharp rise in the risks associated with money laundering and terrorism financing during the 2024 and 2025 period. The update, prepared by the country’s Financial Intelligence Unit of Sri Lanka, concludes that Sri Lanka now faces a high level of threat from illicit proceeds generated by drug trafficking, while the risk related to extremist financing has been eleva

Authorities in Jakarta, Indonesia, have intensified their efforts to combat illegal online gambling, announcing a major crackdown on 132 online casino websites and freezing hundreds of billions of rupiah in related financial transactions.   According to officials, law enforcement agencies have temporarily blocked bank transactions totaling 255.75 billion rupiah, equivalent to about $15.2 million, as part of an ongoing campaign against digital gambling networks.   In an offici

Japan’s government has confirmed that local authorities will be able to submit applications for integrated resort (IR) developments between May 6th, 2027, and November 5th, 2027, marking the next phase in the country’s casino resort licensing process. The announcement follows a Cabinet approval on March 10th of an amendment to a Cabinet Order under the IR Implementation Act, according to a statement from the Japan Tourism Agency. The revised order is scheduled to take effect

Financial institutions in Japan operate within a highly developed regulatory structure designed to prevent illicit funds from entering and destabilizing the national economy. A central component of this framework is the early identification of transactions that do not match a customer’s established financial behavior or legitimate commercial activity. By maintaining strict monitoring standards, these institutions serve as a primary safeguard against organized crime and cross-

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has launched an urgent, high-level monitoring initiative aimed at shielding Sri Lanka from the heavy financial sanctions and economic limitations that accompany international grey listing. Authorities are currently working to close serious gaps in both legislative structures and institutional staffing in order to satisfy the strict standards set by the Financial Action Task Force. By accelerating these reforms, the government hopes to safegu