The not very secret life of A7’s front companies

Reported by Chris Cook (Summary shared below. To read full report, go to: https://www.ft.com/content/372d018c-df75-4bf8-9699-7f87b8511c37?syn-25a6b1a6=1) The article examines how A7, the Kremlin-backed payment network, built and continually replaced a large system of front companies to move Russian money through the international financial system despite sanctions. The U.S. Treasury recently designated A7 as a Transnational Criminal Organization […]

‘Crypto King’ Aiden Pleterski spent investors’ money on exotic cars, private jet flights: Crown

Reported by Nicole Brockbank (Summary featured below. To read full report, go to: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/crypto-king-fraud-trial-begins-toronto-aiden-pleterski-9.7370119) Aiden Pleterski, the self-described “Crypto King,” has gone on trial in Toronto on charges of fraud over $5,000 and laundering proceeds of crime. Pleterski, 27, has pleaded not guilty and is representing himself after an Ontario Superior Court judge rejected his […]

Adopting an ‘offensively defensive’ approach to financial crime

Reported by Brett Erickson and Dustin Eaton (Summary shared below. To read full report, go to: https://www.americanbanker.com/opinion/adopting-an-offensively-defensive-approach-to-financial-crime) The authors argue that banks need to move from a reactive approach to financial crime toward what they call an “offensively defensive” posture. Their central point is that rapidly changing geopolitics, sanctions regimes and technology are forcing illicit networks to […]

Chinese bank helped Huawei spirit $1B out of London days after US indictment of the tech giant

Reported by Scilla Alecci (Summary shared below. To read full report, go to: https://www.icij.org/investigations/china-capital/huawei-icbc-banking-us-court-beijing-london/) The investigation by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) describes how Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), the world’s largest bank by assets, moved $1.3 billion for Huawei from London to China in February 2019, just days after the […]

US Fund Accuses Radiant World of Fraud in Swiss Complaint

Reported by Katharine Gemmell and Chris Dolmetsch (Excerpt shared below. To read full report, go to: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-09-30/us-fund-accuses-trader-radiant-world-of-fraud-in-swiss-complaint) A US fund has filed a criminal complaint in Switzerland accusing Radiant World and related companies of fraud and money laundering, according to a US court filing, adding a new jurisdiction to the iron ore trader’s escalating legal and financial crisis. The […]

Syria, U.S. businesses discuss investment, banking ties in New York

Reported by SANA (Excerpt shared below. To read full report, go to: https://sana.sy/en/economic/2347781/) Senior Syrian economic officials met U.S. business and financial representatives in New York to discuss investment opportunities and reforms aimed at reconnecting Syria’s banking sector with the global financial system. Representatives of U.S. companies and investment, commercial and financial institutions attended the meeting, which covered economic and financial […]

Mexico Tightens Money-Laundering Rules After U.S. Pressure

Reported by Max Fillion (Summary shared below. To read full report, go to: https://www.wsj.com/finance/regulation/mexico-tightens-money-laundering-rules-after-u-s-pressure-6823fdd8) Mexico is tightening its anti-money-laundering framework following pressure from the United States and the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to do more to combat cartel financing. Recent legislative changes impose stricter due diligence requirements, require businesses to collect more information about […]

A shift in strategy from ‘hygiene’ to ‘hunter’

Reported by John Binns John Binns, a partner at BCL Solicitors, argues that conventional anti-money-laundering controls can focus too heavily on rejecting suspicious transactions rather than helping authorities investigate financial crime. Under this “hygiene” model, institutions prioritize due diligence, monitoring and suspicious activity reports (SARs). However, refusing transactions can push funds toward less-regulated jurisdictions, while […]

FinCEN Proposes to Designate Banque Misr UAE as a Primary Money Laundering Concern and Revoke Correspondent Banking Access

Reported by Kaley Schafer (Excerpt shared below. To read full report, go to: https://natlawreview.com/article/fincen-proposes-designate-banque-misr-uae-primary-money-laundering-concern-and?amp) The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”) has proposed to revoke Banque Misr UAE’s (the “Bank”) correspondent banking access to U.S. financial institutions, finding that that the Bank is a financial institution operating outside of the U.S. and is of primary money laundering concern […]

Swiss regulator concludes action against Julius Baer, shares surge

Reported by John Revill (Excerpt shared below. To read full report, go to: https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/julius-baer-seriously-breached-risk-money-laundering-rules-swiss-regulator-says-2026-09-29/) Swiss financial regulator FINMA said on Tuesday it had concluded enforcement proceedings against Julius Baer (BAER.S), lifting or relaxing restrictive ‌measures against the bank and triggering a sharp rise in the Zurich-based private bank’s shares. The bank said a request regarding its […]