Our extensive knowledge at your fingertips

Latest editions

Search

EU Supervisors warn financial institutions to stay vigilant as geopolitical tensions, trade disruptions, cyber threats, and rising crypto-asset risks threaten market stability

September 19, 2025

The Autumn 2025 Joint Committee Report highlights that escalating geopolitical tensions, trade disruptions, and currency volatility are reshaping the risk landscape and demanding increased vigilance from financial institutions. While the EU financial system demonstrates resilience—through strong bank profitability, insurer solvency, and pension fund funding—the supervisors urge firms to embed geopolitical and cyber risk assessments…

Eurojust’s report on Cumulative prosecutions of foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs) urges states to charge both terrorism and core international crimes together to ensure full accountability and justice

September 11, 2025

The report highlights the role of networks and joint investigation teams in strengthening cross-border cooperation, evidence collection, and victim protection. It also underscores the legal and practical advantages of cumulative charges, while acknowledging the challenges of capacity, coordination, and expertise across jurisdictions…

Netherlands FIOD develops an AI-powered chatbot to assist financial crime investigators in efficiently processing large volumes of data and interpreting relevant laws and regulations

September 6, 2025

According to FIOD’s 2024 annual report, the chatbot aids in investigative procedures by answering procedural questions, interpreting laws and regulations, and referencing pertinent case law. Additionally, FIOD is exploring other AI applications, such as tools to analyze extensive communication data from seized devices, identifying connections that might be overlooked in manual analyses…

Swiss FINMA’s ‘Guidance on Disclosure of Crypto-Based Assets’ clarifies that banks must report them as custody assets, and not fiduciary transactions in their annual financial statements

September 5, 2025

FINMA publishes an oversight communication clarifying the disclosure of crypto-based assets in banks’ annual financial statements under its Guidance 03/2025. It confirms that previous disclosure obligations remain in force, allows banks pragmatic flexibility in presentation, and removes the requirement to report fiduciary-held cryptocurrencies in supervisory reporting while continuing to collect data via a dedicated EHP survey…

TRACFIN’s (France FIU) 2024 Annual Report highlights 3,998 intelligence reports shared with partners and 59 consolidated alerts issued on 12,079 entities, demonstrating a robust effort to combat ML/TF

September 5, 2025

The agency transmitted 3,998 intelligence reports to its partners, marking a 9.6% increase from the previous year. Additionally, Tracfin issued 59 consolidated alerts targeting 12,079 entities, up from 25 alerts on 5,053 entities in 2023. These efforts align with Tracfin’s core missions: combating money laundering from criminal sources, identifying threats to public finances, and countering terrorist financing…

Europol supports Spain in dismantling a migrant smuggling ring from Algeria to the EU, exposing a Hawala laundering network and seizing €1M in assets, boats, weapons, and cash

August 27, 2025

Europol leads a global crackdown seizing nearly €66M in counterfeit currency across 18 countries, uncovering 1M fake notes and triggering 102 new investigations into fraud networks

August 20, 2025

The investigation, conducted from October 2024 to March 2025 across 18 countries, led to the seizure of more than 990,000 counterfeit items, including “movie money” notes, and triggered 102 new investigations into criminal networks, with a particularly notable seizure of USD 600,000 in fake banknotes in Romania…

EBA’s report on AML/CFT SupTech identifies these tools as key drivers for advancing supervision, enhancing efficiency and data analysis while emphasising robust governance

August 18, 2025

The report stresses the need for a digital-first culture, robust change management, interoperability, and privacy safeguards, along with continuous evaluation of performance. Cross-border and domestic collaboration is crucial to ensure SupTech tools are effective, secure, and compliant, helping regulators tackle financial crime more efficiently…

Europol’s ‘From Instigator to Perpetrator’ report exposes how “violence‑as‑a‑service” uses digital platforms to outsource attacks, exploiting minors while protecting masterminds

August 14, 2025

Europol’s investigative analysis, supported by its Operational Taskforce OTF GRIMM, reveals a four-stage violent chain—instigator, recruiter, enabler, and perpetrator—often involving minors recruited through encrypted social media platforms, gamified tasks, and coded messaging to execute assaults, extortion, or murders at a distance from criminal masterminds…

Europol dismantles a major Albanian crime network, arresting 10 and seizing millions in assets linked to cocaine trafficking and ML through luxury properties and businesses

August 12, 2025

Albanian authorities, with support from Europol and multiple EU law enforcement agencies, dismantled a transnational organised crime group involved in large-scale cocaine trafficking from Latin America to Europe and extensive money laundering. The operation, enabled by analysis of encrypted Sky ECC communications, resulted in 10 arrests and the seizure of millions of euros in criminal assets, including a tourist resort, high-value real estate, vehicles, and business interests linked to the network’s leadership…

Europol takes down cross-border illegal fishing ring, seizing 7+ tonnes of unsafe Japanese clams worth €150K from a €2.5M-a-week trade laundered through luxury cars

August 12, 2025

In a joint operation, Spanish and Portuguese authorities, supported by Europol, dismantled an organised network engaged in the illegal harvesting and distribution of Japanese clams unfit for human consumption, seizing over seven tonnes of the product. The investigation led to 11 arrests and uncovered illicit proceeds exceeding €1.6 million in 2025, highlighting the convergence of food fraud and organised financial crime…

EBF’s Simply Competitive Report urges EU policymakers to make simplification a top priority, warning that excessive regulatory complexity is undermining competitiveness and growth

August 5, 2025

It calls on EU policymakers to make regulatory simplification a top political priority, arguing that simpler, clearer, and proportionate rules across prudential, reporting, digital, ESG, and AML frameworks will enable banks to better finance households, businesses, and the green and digital transitions—ultimately boosting Europe’s competitiveness and resilience…

No results found.