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CoE’s GLACY-e programme united global enforcement leaders during EU Crime Fighting Week 2026 to intensify the fight against cyber-enabled FC, scam centres, and cross-border fraud networks

June 18, 2026

Discussions focused on tackling the growing threat of scam centres, improving intelligence sharing, enhancing international legal cooperation, and strengthening countries’ capabilities to investigate cybercrime and recover criminal assets. The initiative forms part of the EU- and Council of Europe-funded GLACY-e programme, which helps countries develop stronger cybercrime legislation, investigative capabilities, and international cooperation…

MONEYVAL’s Follow-up Report confirms Bulgaria has strengthened its AML/CFT framework, achieving compliant or largely compliant ratings across all 40 FATF Rec., concluding its 5th Evaluation Round

June 17, 2026

The follow-up report records stronger technical compliance on confiscation and provisional measures, terrorist financing offences, proliferation-related targeted financial sanctions, non-profit organisations, correspondent banking, sanctions and mutual legal assistance. Bulgaria now holds 13 compliant and 27 largely compliant ratings, prompting MONEYVAL to close the country’s fifth evaluation round while leaving effectiveness outside the scope of this…

ESMA’s 2025 Annual Report, reinforces its focus on stronger supervision, simpler regulation, and enhanced oversight of crypto, ESG, and digital resilience across EU markets

June 17, 2026

Key achievements included implementing major regulatory frameworks such as MiCA, DORA and EMIR 3, advancing crypto-asset supervision, enhancing digital resilience, improving ESG and sustainable finance oversight, and adopting a more data-driven, risk-based supervisory approach. ESMA also prioritised reducing regulatory burdens through streamlined reporting requirements, supported the move to a T+1 settlement cycle, selected the EU’s first…

EBA’s 2025 Annual Report highlights strong EU/EEA bank capital resilience amid rising geopolitical, real estate, and cyber risks, alongside continued progress on MiCA, DORA, and Pillar 3 data integration

June 16, 2026

The 2025 Annual Report outlines the EBA’s work to simplify and strengthen the Single Rulebook, assess banking-sector resilience, improve supervisory convergence and advance more integrated, data-driven reporting. It also records the Authority’s growing responsibilities for crypto-assets and digital operational resilience, alongside preparations for transferring its AML/CFT mandates to AMLA and continued work on consumer protection, sustainable…

AMLA publishes webinar materials on ‘Identification of Obliged Entities Eligible for Direct Supervision’, detailing how standardised data will be used to select firms for EU AML oversight from 2028

June 16, 2026

The materials explain how AMLA is collecting and standardising data through a structured template to support its risk-based assessment model, which will inform the selection of entities for direct supervision from 2028. The key findings outline the eligibility criteria, data submission requirements, and timeline for the exercise, including a data collection phase running until August 2026, followed by validation and finalisation of a provisional list of eligible entities…

Europol supports FIFA World Cup 2026 security by coordinating global intelligence and deploying specialist teams across the US, Mexico, and Canada to detect, prevent, and respond to criminal threats

June 15, 2026

As the tournament will take place across three countries and involve 48 teams, 104 matches, and millions of fans, it also creates a major security challenge. Large international events like this can attract risks such as terrorism threats, organised crime activity, cyberattacks, ticket fraud, and financial crimes linked to illegal betting…

Europol dismantles “AudiA6,” a crypto laundering hub used by ransomware gangs to launder over €336M in illicit funds, exposing its links to more than 15 international cybercrime investigations

June 11, 2026

The network acted as a key cash-out hub, rapidly converting stolen crypto into “cleaned” assets through complex transaction chains designed to obscure the money trail. Authorities arrested suspects in Georgia, seized servers, domains, and assets, and froze additional cryptocurrency, while also uncovering links to the dark web forum “Dark2Web”. Europol linked the service to more than 15 global cybercrime investigations, highlighting the growing industrialisation of crypto laundering within the ransomware ecosystem…

AMLA concludes its First Conference in Frankfurt, spotlighting evolving FC risks from geopolitics, crypto-assets and AI, and reinforcing its combined supervision–financial intelligence mandate

June 11, 2026

Speakers, including EU Commissioner Maria Luís Albuquerque and senior MEPs, emphasised the importance of regulatory convergence, stronger cross-border cooperation, and consistent supervision across the EU. Panel debates focused on improving financial intelligence sharing, leveraging technology to detect illicit flows, and building a more unified and effective EU AML/CFT framework, while AMLA leadership underscored priorities around risk understanding, supervisory consistency, and actionable intelligence going forward…

Europol supported Belgian authorities in dismantling an Islamic State financing network, convicting 7 members for funding IS operations through cross-border transfers and weapons procurement

June 10, 2026

Seven suspects were convicted in Belgium on 9 June 2026 and sentenced to between five and 15 years in prison, following a Belgian-led investigation into a network mainly composed of Chechen-origin individuals in Europe. Europol says the network financed the release of foreign terrorist fighters detained in Syria, supported Islamic State members in Syria and Central Asia, and helped fund weapons and CBRN-E precursor procurement, with German authorities also securing related sentences earlier in 2026…

Europol disrupts a Kosovo-based organised crime network behind an €80M criminal empire, uncovered through SKY ECC encrypted chats exposing large-scale drug trafficking and ML across Europe

June 9, 2026

The group was involved in large-scale drug trafficking, money laundering, weapons offences, and fraudulent document production, operating across several European countries including Belgium, France, and the Netherlands. Over a three-year investigation under Europol’s OTF LIMIT operation, authorities identified key members coordinating international shipments and laundering illicit profits through cross-border channels…

AMLA consults on draft Guidelines for ongoing monitoring of business relationships to strengthen CDD and suspicious activity detection under the EU’s new AML regime – feedback until 3 Sept 2026

June 5, 2026

The Guidelines provide practical guidance on how firms should maintain up-to-date customer information, monitor transactions and activities, and identify unusual or suspicious behaviour throughout the lifecycle of a customer relationship. The draft adopts a risk-based and proportionate approach applicable across both financial and non-financial sectors and seeks feedback from a wide range of regulated entities…

Swiss FINMA’s review of 30+ banks warns persistent AML risk assessment weaknesses, exposing firms to significant ML/TF risks amid weak scrutiny of PEPs, ownership structures and crypto activity

June 4, 2026

FINMA identified shortcomings including insufficiently detailed risk assessments, overly generous exceptions to internal controls, and poorly defined warning indicators that could allow high-risk relationships to go undetected. The regulator highlighted particular concerns around the treatment of politically exposed persons (PEPs), complex corporate structures and crypto-related services, which were not always classified as sufficiently high risk. FINMA has issued further guidance on money laundering risk analysis, describing it as the most important tool for preventing…

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