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Reuters: India’s FIU imposes $2.25 million penalty on crypto exchange Binance

Binance classified as a Virtual Digital Asset Service Provider is obligated to maintain transaction records and implement stringent AML measures. Despite this classification, the FIU’s investigation revealed Binance’s non-compliance with these requirements in its dealings with Indian clients…

Reuters: Police conducted search at Thales offices across three countries as part of a corruption investigation

French, Spanish, and Dutch authorities conducted office searches at Thales, a French military equipment provider in a corruption investigation. The first investigation, focuses on suspected corruption of a foreign official, criminal association, and ML related to submarine sales and naval base construction in Brazil. The second involves similar offenses tied to the sale of military and civilian equipment overseas…

Reuters: Panama’s court has acquitted individuals accused of ML connected to the Panama Papers and “Operation Car Wash” scandals

Judge Marquinez also imposed fines on witnesses who failed to comply with summonses and noted that evidence from Mossack Fonseca’s servers lacked proper chain of custody. In relation to Operation Car Wash, a large-scale corruption investigation originating in Brazil, Marquinez concluded that it couldn’t be proven funds from illicit sources entered Panama to conceal crimes…

Financial Times: U.S. federal law enforcement officials stated that suspects chose Citigroup ATMs for ML due to operational advantages

US prosecutors revealed that drug traffickers chose Citigroup for ML due to its perceived weaker fraud controls. In January 2021, two California residents deposited nearly $36,000 in illicit cash at Citi ATMs by splitting the amount into smaller transactions to avoid detection. The Drug Enforcement Administration reported that the duo, allegedly part of a network laundered at least $50m, chose Citi after evaluating several banks…

Compliance Week: Credit Suisse AG New York Branch to address deficiencies in the Branch’s compliance related to the Bank Secrecy Act and other AML laws and regulations

The branch has struck a formal agreement with the Department’s Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) to remedy deficiencies in its compliance with AML obligations…

The Guardian: HSBC Switzerland breached money-laundering rules, says Swiss watchdog

Finma, which opened enforcement proceedings against HSBC in December 2021, said it had “breached its obligations in the prevention of money laundering in connection with two politically exposed persons and thereby seriously violated financial market law”…

BS50: Adidas investigates allegations of embezzlement, bribery in China

Athletic apparel company Adidas has launched an investigation into allegations of compliance violations in China after receiving an anonymous letter earlier this month accusing local executives of embezzling millions of euros, according to news reports…

AP News: 24 people charged in ML scheme involving Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel, prosecutors say

A five-year investigation uncovered links between the Sinaloa Cartel and Chinese shadow bankers to launder over $50 million in drug trafficking proceeds…

This is Money: Major bank warns home buyers over rise in scam which sees fraudsters steal deposits

Home buyers are being warned by Lloyds Bank to be vigilant over the rise of a scam which could cost them their entire deposit – with first-time buyers particularly vulnerable. Conveyancing scams have increased 29 per cent over the past year, with fraudsters hacking email accounts of home buyers to con them out of their deposit payments…

Sverige Radio: Swedish company’s games featured in illegal online casinos

  • Games from the Swedish company Evolution have been found on a number of sites for illegal online casinos in Southeast Asia
  • Some of these online casinos have ties also to other suspected crimes such as ML and fraud.
  • Experts say game suppliers risk assisting the criminal organisations that are behind these sites.

Dutch News: Independent ATMs are used as ML machines

The programme reveals that independent ATMs, unregulated in the Netherlands and abroad, can be used by criminals as washing machines or to hide assets and avoid taxes. The finance ministry has stated that it is unaware of the issue and plans to initiate discussions with the financial sector to address it…

Finews: UBS was fined by the EFD for failing to report suspected ML cases related to the former Yemeni president

UBS recorded 5,438 warning notices in connection with its relationships with former president Ali Abdullah Saleh. However, the bank did not forward these warnings to the Money Laundering Reporting Office Switzerland. UBS also failed in the handling large amount of money associated with corrupt practices by Saleh to be withdrawn from state control. Saleh lost power in Yemen in 2012 and was killed by Houthi fighters…