Our extensive knowledge at your fingertips

Latest editions

Search

GIABA reports significant progress by Côte d’Ivoire in addressing technical compliance gaps identified in 2023 Mutual Evaluation

Côte d’Ivoire remains in enhanced follow-up, but is re-rated to Compliant on Recommendation 11 (record-keeping), Recommendation 18 (programs to prevent AML/CFT) and Recommendation 20 (reporting of suspicious transactions).

UNODC estimates that opium cultivation in Afghanistan has increased by 19% during the second year of the drugs ban

The increase follows on a 95 per cent decrease in cultivation during the 2023 crop season, when the de-facto Authorities of Afghanistan enforced a ban that virtually eliminated poppy cultivation across much of the country. Despite the increase in 2024, opium poppy cultivation remains far below 2022, when an estimated 232,000 hectares were cultivated.

UNODC issues report on Drug trafficking dynamics across Iraq and the Middle East: Trends and Responses

Notes that Iraq is becoming ‘a critical juncture in the complex trafficking dynamics observed in the Near and Middle East region’, with activity related to the production and trade of the methamphetamine ‘Captagon’ being of heightened concern.

FATF re-rates South Korea on Recommendation 8 concerning the abuse of NPOs for terrorist finance

Korea is compliant on 13 Recommendations and largely compliant on 20. The country has 7 Recommendations rated partially compliant.

INTERPOL in collaboration with the Korean National Police Agency (KNPA) convened the first-ever Future of Policing Congress to address emerging challenges facing law enforcement

The Future of Policing Congress is organized into three sessions: the first explores future scenarios, the second examines their impact on law enforcement, and the final session focuses on how law enforcement can prepare to face future challenges…

MAS releases Joint Advisory on rise in Government Official impersonation scam variant featuring impersonation of banks

In this variant, the victim would first receive an unsolicited call from a scammer impersonating a bank officer, typically from DBS, OCBC, UOB or Standard Chartered Bank. The scammer would inform the victim that a credit card has been issued under the victim’s name, or that there were suspicious or fraudulent transactions detected in the victim’s bank account, and would ask the victim to confirm these financial transactions…

Reuters: FATF places Lebanon on financial crime watchlist

FATF announced that it has placed Lebanon on its grey list for countries under increased scrutiny. Lebanon, which has been grappling with a financial crisis since 2019 exacerbated by Israeli airstrikes and operations against Hezbollah, has received some leeway regarding deadlines in its action plan. Prime Minister acknowledged that Lebanon’s grey listing was anticipated due to the ongoing challenges in approving essential financial legislation…

AP News: Albania’s former left-wing President Meta has been arrested on corruption charges

Albanian prosecutors have arrested former President on charges of corruption, ML and concealing personal income and assets. President contends that the allegations are politically motivated, while former EU ambassador welcomed the arrest as evidence that no one is above the law. The Special Structure Against Corruption and Organized Crime reported that President’s arrest followed a five-year investigation…

BBC: Ireland has signed extradition treaties with the UAE

The Republic of Ireland and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have signed two bilateral treaties focused on extradition and mutual legal assistance. Irish Justice Minister finalized the agreements in Abu Dhabi with UAE counterpart after negotiations initiated last year to address organized crime and drug trafficking. These treaties are anticipated to enable the extradition of a prominent member of the organized crime gang back to Ireland…

FinCEN hosts Regional Training Event in Botswana to combat money laundering

The training event brought together delegations from Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Namibia, and South Africa, along with facilitators and trainers from the United States and from Canada’s Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre, to improve the capabilities of government agencies to investigate and address priority illicit finance threats, including those related to the illegal wildlife trade (IWT). CIFT training is designed to provide capacity-building, case studies, and targeted training to personnel from participating governments’ financial intelligence units, law enforcement agencies, regulatory bodies, and prosecutors.

ICIJ exposes link between Brazil’s largest criminal organisation and Panama Papers in police investigation

A police report obtained by ICIJ partner Agência Pública claims an offshore company created by Mossack Fonseca in 2012 is part of a cluster of firms that allegedly laundered money from drug trafficking…

 

 

Canada joins US to designate sham charity that supports a foreign terrorist organisation

Samidoun has been listed as a terrorist entity by Germany. Samidoun has close links with and advances the interests of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), which is a listed terrorist entity in Canada, the United States and the European Union.