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Reuters: U.S. reaches a deferred prosecution deal with Halkbank Turkey over Iran sanctions, imposing strict oversight after allegations of fraudulent trades and front companies

March 9, 2026

The scheme reportedly involved using gold trades, false food and medicine transactions, and a network of front companies to disguise illicit payments and bypass sanctions controls. Under the agreement, U.S. prosecutors will defer prosecution while the bank complies with strict conditions, including enhanced oversight, cooperation with authorities, and measures to strengthen its anti-money laundering and sanctions compliance framework…

Reuters: British American Tobacco is being sued in London by 100+ shareholders over undisclosed North Korea sanctions breaches after a US $635M 2023 U.S. settlement

March 4, 2026

The action follows BAT’s 2023 agreement to pay over US $635 million to U.S. authorities for sanctions breaches and related bank fraud. Shareholders argue that the company should have informed investors sooner, while BAT has acknowledged the lawsuit but offered limited comment due to legal restrictions; the financial value of the claim has not been disclosed, and a separate lawsuit was…

Reuters: The US and UK clash over crypto regulation – Britain backs sandbox trials, the US prefers exemptions while aiming to align cross-border frameworks by summer 2026

March 4, 2026

While both sides broadly agree on aligning frameworks for digital assets like stablecoins, the UK prefers using regulatory sandboxes to safely trial tokenised securities, whereas the US — with support from its domestic crypto industry — is sceptical about sandboxes and is considering an alternative “exemptive relief” approach to tokenisation. Despite the disagreement, both governments aim to finalise recommendations…

Politico: Trump criticises banks for blocking the Senate’s Clarity Act, supporting crypto firms’ stablecoin yield programs and warning that bank opposition could hinder U.S. progress in digital assets

March 3, 2026

He warned that banks’ opposition threatens U.S. crypto progress and the earlier GENIUS Act, while White House–led negotiations, mediated by crypto adviser Patrick Witt, continue to try to resolve the dispute between banking and crypto sectors…

Yahoo Finance: Charles Schwab wired nearly $28M for Jeffrey Epstein’s attempted purchase of a luxury Marrakesh palace just days before his arrest, even amid insufficient funds, prompting a FinCEN SAR

February 21, 2026

In June–July 2019, just before Jeffrey Epstein’s arrest, Charles Schwab wired approx. $27.7M on his behalf to a realtor in Marrakesh, Morocco, where Epstein was attempting to purchase the luxury Bin Ennakhil palace. One of these transfers, totaling nearly $14.95m, was sent despite insufficient funds in the account, as Schwab anticipated earlier deposits to be returned. The bank subsequently filed a suspicious activity report (SAR) with the U.S. Treasury’s FinCEN on July 13, 2019, citing concerns over the real‑estate transfers and Epstein’s potential flight risk…

Reuters: French prosecutors launch 2 major investigations into alleged human trafficking and financial crimes linked to Jeffrey Epstein newly released U.S. files, involving French nationals

February 18, 2026

One probe focuses on trafficking offences, while the other examines suspected money laundering, corruption and tax fraud, including a preliminary inquiry into Jack Lang and his daughter, both of whom deny any wrongdoing. Authorities have assigned five prosecutors to review the material and are urging potential victims to come forward, marking a renewed and expanded effort after a previous French investigation collapsed in 2023….

FlexiNews: Binance denies allegations that it enabled over $1B in USDT transactions linked to Iran, rejecting claims that internal investigators uncovered sanctions breaches and were later dismissed

February 16, 2026

The dispute comes amid heightened regulatory scrutiny following Binance’s 2023 $4.3 billion settlement with U.S. authorities and underscores ongoing financial crime concerns around stablecoins and the use of crypto rails to bypass sanctions. Even without confirmed enforcement action, the episode highlights persistent supervisory focus on transaction monitoring, whistleblower governance, and sanctions controls…

Yahoo Finance: Louis Vuitton Netherlands faces a €500,000 penalty after AML failures allowed millions in illicit cash to be channelled into China through “daigou” luxury handbag sales

February 12, 2026

According to prosecutors, the brand did not fully monitor its customers and effectively allowed the laundering of millions of euros through purchases of luxury bags and other goods. The Dutch Public Prosecutor’s Office imposed a fine on the local subsidiary of Louis Vuitton; the company was found guilty of violating financial controls and evading anti-money-laundering measures in the stores…

Reuters: Cambodia shuts down nearly 200 online scam centres as part of an intensified crackdown on transnational fraud networks, signalling a decisive push to dismantle its cyber-crime hub image

February 11, 2026

Cambodia says it has sealed nearly 200 online scam compounds, arrested 173 senior figures and deported about 11,000 workers in a sweeping campaign to disrupt transnational fraud networks. The crackdown led by the national Commission for Combating Online Scams forms part of a broader enforcement push that began late last year following major international action against an alleged scam kingpin, with authorities granting rare media access to a raided complex to demonstrate their intent to tackle sophisticated global fraud operations.

Reuters: Brazil’s Finance Ministry warns that regulatory loopholes in pooled and escrow accounts are being exploited by criminal and tax‑evaders to hide assets and dodge court‑ordered freezes

February 6, 2026

These accounts, which mix multiple users’ funds or act as temporary holding structures, fall outside the judiciary’s asset‑freezing system and obscure ultimate beneficiaries, weakening anti‑money‑laundering and enforcement actions. While the Central Bank tightened rules in November to curb misuse, the Finance Ministry says the changes only partially mitigate the risks, and is urging further regulatory action in discussions with the central bank, federal police and other agencies. Authorities also suspect hidden assets in a major tax‑fraud case…

Reuters: Italy’s Police launch a ML probe into third‑tier football club Triestina Calcio, owned by U.S. crypto firm House of Doge, investigating €50M in suspicious funds and alleged accounting fraud

February 4, 2026

Investigators, led by prosecutors in Trieste, are scrutinising roughly €10 million in public funds and about €40 million transferred through U.S. and Canadian banks between 2022 and 2025, amid concerns that these sizable inflows don’t align with the club’s heavy €60 million debt load, raising red flags for potentially illicit financial flows and accounting irregularities tied to the club’s ownership and operations…

Coindesk: Hong Kong is set to approve stablecoin-issuer licences in Mar 2026 under HKMA’s new regime, boosting oversight and establishing the city as a regulated crypto hub

February 2, 2026

The move comes as stablecoins, now a roughly $300 billion asset class, are projected to grow into the trillions and are seen by some global banks as key to future digital trade settlement. Authorities are expected to approve only a limited number of issuers initially, despite receiving dozens of applications, as regulators prioritise financial-stability safeguards, full reserve-backing requirements, governance standards, and strong AML/CFT controls…

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