Money Laundering

French Lawyer Asks Russian Patriarch to Help Save Alexander Vinnik From ‘Political Trial’ in US

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A member of the defense team of the alleged BTC-e operator Alexander Vinnik has called on the head of the Russian Orthodox Church to intervene in support of his client. The Russian national may be sentenced to over 50 years in…

US Charges Russians, Venezuelans for Sanctions Evasion Using Cryptocurrency

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A group of Russian and Venezuelan nationals have been charged by U.S. authorities for their roles in a scheme to circumvent Western sanctions and launder money on a global scale. They have been accused of obtaining military technologies from American companies,…

Lawyer of Alleged Crypto Launderer Vinnik Calls on Russia to Talk Prisoner Swap With US

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A lawyer representing Russian IT specialist Alexander Vinnik has urged the government in Moscow to discuss a potential exchange of prisoners with the United States, where he was recently extradited. The French legal expert is convinced only a return to his…

Kenyan Central Bank Orders Financial Institutions to Stop Dealing With Two Nigerian Fintechs

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In a letter addressed to the CEOs of financial institutions, the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) has said financial institutions operating in the country must cease and desist from dealing with two Nigerian fintechs, Flutterwave and Chipper Cash. The letter reiterates…

Israel Prohibits Cash Deals for Amounts Starting as Low as $1,700

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New legislation introducing tighter restrictions on payments with large sums of cash will enter into force in Israel on Monday. The goal, as stated by the country’s tax authority, is to improve the fight against organized crime, money laundering, and tax…

Hong Kong to Introduce Licensing for Crypto Platforms Through AML Law

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New legislation tailored to regulate the crypto space in Hong Kong aims to implement a licensing regime for crypto service providers. The respective changes to the region’s anti-money laundering (AML) rules have been submitted to its legislature while a recently published…

Bank of Spain Reminds Public Cryptocurrency Purchases Can Be Blocked in Certain Cases

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The Spanish central bank, Bank of Spain, has warned users about certain actions banks can take if they detect cryptocurrency purchases. In a post published on its web page, the institution explains that traditional banks have the ability to block these…

Colombian Money Laundering Watchdog Postpones Crypto Transaction Reporting Resolution

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The UIAF, which is the Colombian money laundering watchdog, has postponed the date on which exchanges and individuals must start reporting their transactions to the organization. The institution will now open a consulting period in which companies and individuals can present…

Crypto Users and Exchanges Must Now Report Transactions in Colombia

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The Colombian government has issued new regulations that force exchanges and individuals to report cryptocurrency transactions to the UIAF, the anti-money laundering watchdog in Colombia. The transactions must be reported via an online reporting system, and exchanges will be required to…

IRS Special Agent on Crypto: ‘We See Mountains of Fraud in This Area’

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A special agent with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) says the tax agency is “seeing mountains and mountains of fraud” in the cryptocurrency space. The IRS criminal investigation unit is trying to train all of its agents on crypto and non-fungible…