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A senior advisor to Russian President Vladimir Putin has reportedly urged the Kremlin to consider legalizing online casino gambling as a way to generate much-needed state revenue. According to Kommersant, a leading Russian newspaper covering politics and business, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov has proposed that Putin authorize iGaming as part of broader efforts to strengthen government finances. The recommendation comes as Russia’s economy faces mounting strain from prolong

French naval forces have detained an Indian ship’s captain following the interception of an oil tanker suspected of operating within the covert maritime network that sustains Russian energy exports. The vessel, the Grinch, was stopped on the high seas and escorted under military supervision to the Gulf of Fos-sur-Mer, where it arrived on January 25, 2026. The ship’s captain, a 58-year-old Indian national, was taken into custody as part of a criminal investigation led by prose

Banco Santander SA has been ordered to pay a penalty exceeding €40 million following an extensive supervisory review of the anti-money laundering arrangements at its digital subsidiary, Openbank. Spain’s anti-money laundering authority, Sepblac, concluded that there were material weaknesses in the internal procedures and control systems governing Openbank’s operations in Spain. The sanction, one of the largest ever issued by the watchdog, reflects heightened regulatory pressu

Cambodia’s National Bank is intensifying measures to combat cross-border crime and money laundering as the country works to avoid being placed on the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list for a third time, amid ongoing enforcement against the nation’s notorious scam hubs. According to local Chinese-language media outlet The Cambodia China Times, National Bank of Cambodia Governor Chea Serey revealed at the bank’s annual work summary meeting that the institution is bols

Kazakhstan’s government has approved a wide-ranging resolution aimed at significantly reinforcing the country’s safeguards against money laundering, terrorist financing, and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, in what officials describe as one of the most far-reaching financial security reforms in recent years. The new measures are scheduled to take effect on November 20 and represent a comprehensive overhaul of how financial risks are identified, monitored, and

The European Banking Authority (EBA) and the Authority for Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism have finalized the full transfer of all anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing mandates and responsibilities, marking a major step forward in the European Union’s efforts to combat financial crime. The completion of this handover brings to a close the stand-alone AML/CFT mandate that the EBA has held since 2020 and represents a key mileston

The Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) has published updated evaluations assessing the progress of regional jurisdictions in combating illicit financial activities, reflecting technical compliance re-ratings for Suriname and the British Virgin Islands through May 2025. The reports highlight legislative and operational improvements made by both territories and underscore their efforts to align domestic regulations with international standards for transparency and ri

A specialist money launderer who played a central role in supporting fugitive cryptocurrency fraudster Zhimin Qian has been ordered to repay £5,603,305.81 or face an extended prison term. Seng Hok Ling was sentenced to four years and eleven months in November 2025 after admitting involvement in a sophisticated criminal enterprise. On the same day, the primary defendant, Zhimin Qian, received a sentence of eleven years and eight months for her leadership of the conspiracy. The

The Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC) has mandated an external audit of global payments platform Airwallex following concerns over serious non-compliance with financial crime regulations. AUSTRAC Chief Executive Officer Brendan Thomas announced the regulatory action on January 22, 2026, citing potential failures in the company’s management of anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing (AML/CTF) obligations. The audit, conducted under sect

Malaysia’s former army chief and his wife were charged on Thursday (Jan 22) with money laundering offences involving close to RM2.2 million (US$543,000), marking another major development in a widening anti-corruption crackdown within the country’s defence establishment. In separate proceedings at the Kuala Lumpur Special Corruption Court, 58-year-old Muhammad Hafizuddeain Jantan and his wife, Salwani Anuar, 26, were each slapped with four charges under the Anti-Money Launder

Australian regulators and tax authorities have kicked off 2026 with a renewed focus on companies and individuals that have failed to meet their tax obligations, signalling a tougher enforcement approach against unpaid tax debts. The Australian Taxation Office (ATO), alongside the corporate watchdog Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), has begun taking action against people responsible for managing corporations that have neglected to pay tax liabilities in

The Korea Customs Service has successfully dismantled a major criminal network that laundered 148.9 billion won through unauthorized digital asset transfers, authorities confirmed. Investigations revealed that three Chinese nationals orchestrated the elaborate scheme by exploiting domestic bank accounts and international cryptocurrency platforms between September 2021 and June of the previous year. The suspects have been referred to the prosecution for serious violations of t

The Lebanese Central Bank has introduced a series of regulatory enhancements aimed at responding to evolving financial threats and preserving the integrity of the national banking system. At the core of these reforms is a strong emphasis on deploying advanced screening mechanisms designed to identify illicit funds before they can penetrate the formal economy. Regulators are placing greater weight on transparency by requiring more frequent disclosures and imposing stricter sta

Former Georgian prime minister Irakli Garibashvili has been sentenced to five years in prison following a plea agreement announced by the Prosecutor General’s Office on January 12 in connection with a serious money laundering case. In addition to the prison term, Garibashvili was fined GEL 1 million, or approximately USD 270,000, and authorities will confiscate cash seized from his residence that they say was obtained illegally. Without the plea deal, Garibashvili had been fa

The United States District Court for the District of Columbia has issued a final decision siding with the Department of Justice in its effort to keep confidential a lengthy monitor report examining HSBC’s internal compliance failures. Granting the government’s motion for summary judgment, the court brought to a close years of litigation over access to a document exceeding one thousand pages that chronicles the bank’s past shortcomings and remediation efforts. The ruling concl

Nicola Brown, a 37-year-old resident of St John’s Park, Waterford, has pleaded guilty to committing money-laundering during the period of February 3 to 5, 2024. Brown made her plea at Waterford Circuit Court before Judge Eugene O’Kelly. She admitted to a charge of money-laundering contrary to Section 7.1.a and 7.1.b, having laundered €5,600 through a Revolut account. During the hearing, defence counsel Gareth Hayden BL requested that a probation report be prepared ahead of se

The European Union is preparing a sweeping package of retaliatory measures against the United States, including tariffs worth up to €93 billion ($107.71 billion), in response to threats by US President Donald Trump to annex Greenland, according to a Financial Times report published on Sunday evening. Brussels is also examining the possibility of limiting access for US companies to the European market as part of a broader response. The measures were discussed during a meetin

Spanish regulators have confirmed a massive fine of 17,601,000 euros against CaixaBank following serious breaches of anti-money laundering obligations. The administrative decision was officially published in the Official State Gazette under resolution BOE-A-2025-26201 on December 11, 2025, and stems from failures in monitoring high-value property transactions that took place years ago. The penalty, one of the largest ever levied against a Spanish bank for non-compliance with

The Federal Trade Commission has asked a federal court in Nevada to hold the operators of payment processor Cliq, Inc. in contempt, alleging they violated a standing 2015 FTC order and seeking at least $52.9 million in compensation for affected consumers. The request, submitted in January 2026, is aimed at former Cardflex, Inc. and two of its top executives, Andrew Phillips and John Blaugrund, whom the agency accuses of systematically disregarding fraud-prevention duties whil

On the 9th of January, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday moved to dismiss its lawsuit against Guy Elliott, the former chief financial officer of Rio Tinto, bringing to a close a lengthy fraud case tied to a troubled investment in a coal project in Mozambique by one of the world’s biggest mining groups. In a filing submitted to federal court in Manhattan, the SEC said it was ending its civil action against Elliott “in the exercise of its discretion,” withou