CRYPTO LAUNDERING: How Tech Salaries Fund North Korea’s Weapons Programs
North Korea’s government-backed IT workers are quietly infiltrating global tech firms and contractor platforms, earning steady crypto salaries that are laundered through a sprawling network of intermediaries to fund the regime’s weapons programs, according to new analysis from Chainalysis.
French Navy Identifies Suspected ‘Shadow Fleet’ Tanker
French authorities are investigating a crude oil tanker suspected of operating within a “shadow fleet” moving Russian oil, after the vessel “Boracay” anchored off Saint-Nazaire, Reuters said citing the French Navy.
SWIFT to Launch Blockchain to Facilitate Stablecoin Payments
International payments cooperative Swift will launch a permissioned blockchain to route transactions among global banks as part of a bid to modernize cross-border payments and blunt the rise of dollar-pegged stablecoins.
FinCEN Pushes Real-Estate Reporting Enforcement to 2026
The U.S. Treasury Department has postponed enforcement of its new residential real-estate reporting rule until March 1, 2026, issuing a temporary exemptive order to give the industry more time to prepare.
Money Laundering Tied to Pig-Butchering Scams is Increasingly Sophisticated, Report Finds
Pig-butchering schemes have scaled into a multibillion-dollar criminal industry, according to a new report by blockchain analytics firm Elliptic cited by CoinDesk.
U.S. Drug Prosecutions Fall to Decades Low as Money-Laundering Cases Plummet: Report
U.S. federal prosecutions for drug crimes have fallen to their lowest level in decades this year after the Trump administration redirected agents to immigration enforcement, according to a Reuters analysis.
Chinese Crypto-Launderer Pleads Guilty in London Court
A woman accused of running a multibillion-pound investment fraud in China has pleaded guilty in London to laundering bitcoin linked to the scheme.
Sanctions Gap Allows Russia-Sourced Nickel to Flow West: Global Witness
A gap between European and U.K. sanctions is allowing nickel from Russia to flow into the United States months after Washington banned Russian-origin metal, according to a new investigation.
Ex–Nodus Chair Pleads Guilty to $13.6 Million Fraud
The former chairman of the board at Puerto Rico–based Nodus International Bank, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud for his role in a $13.6-million scheme that contributed to the institution’s 2023 collapse.
Ex–Ronald McDonald House Director Charged with Stealing from Charity
The former executive director of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Marshfield, Wisconsin, has been charged with taking over $100,000 from the nonprofit.