Regulatory Watch News

• 

  Drug trafficking investigation leads to some of the world’s biggest underground bankers

  Europol

  September 9, 2026

  Some of the world’s biggest underground bankers have been targeted in an international law enforcement operation against a sophisticated financial network suspected of financing drug trafficking and laundering criminal proceeds around the world. The investigation, led by the Spanish National Police (Policía Nacional) and supported by Europol, has resulted in the arrest of 21 suspects for offences including participation in a criminal organisation, drug trafficking and money laundering. An action day carried out in Spain on 22 July 2026 resulted in the arrest of 15 suspects. Spanish authorities also issued 19 international arrest warrants against suspects located outside the country. Six of these warrants have since been executed, resulting in four arrests in the United Arab Emirates, one in Egypt and one in the Netherlands.

• 

  France: Two individuals and a company convicted of fraud involving fictitious cattle farm

  European Public Prosecutor's Office

  September 9, 2026

  (Luxembourg, 9 September 2026) – Two individuals and a company were convicted of fraud on Friday over EU subsidies obtained for a fictitious cattle farm, following an investigation and prosecution by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Paris (France). The couple, who are based in Corsica, had falsely declared that they were operating a cattle farm in order to obtain EU agricultural subsidies, amounting to €263 000, from  France’s public agricultural payments agency (Agence de services et de paiement – ASP). One of the defendants was also convicted of forgery and use of forged documents after submitting false invoices to the Corsican Office for Agricultural and Rural Development (Office du développement agricole et rural de Corse – ODARC), which is responsible for paying part of the agricultural aid in Corsica.

• 

  Call for tender – Intellectual services for the preparation, processing, analysis, reporting and visualisation of GRECO monitoring data

  GRECO

  September 8, 2026

    The Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) regularly produces statistical, analytical and visual information related to its monitoring activities, including the implementation of GRECO recommendations by its member States, trends identified through evaluation and compliance procedures and other activities falling within its mandate. In that context, the Organisation is seeking up to 8 (eight)  providers for the provision of consultancy services in statistical analysis, data processing, data verification, data visualisation and institutional reporting relating to GRECO’s monitoring activities, to be requested on an as-needed basis, in compliance with the ordering procedure defined in the Framework Contract. Similar services may also be required for analysing data pertaining to cooperation activities in the area of fight against economic crime.