Money launderers may be working out of thousands of South American petrol stations; report sheds light on multi-billion-euro battle on organised crime in oil industry
Corruption and money laundering continue to plague the Latin American petroleum industry, with Brazil alone seeing illegal profits worth around €3.47BN annually, it has emerged.
A recent Reuters investigation has revealed that crime within the industry has not gone away despite efforts to contain it.
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Austria: 15 arrests in €3.5 million fraud investigation involving RRF funds
European Public Prosecutor's Office
(Luxembourg, 21 November 2024) – This week (19 November), at the request of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Vienna and Graz (Austria), the Vienna Criminal Police (Landeskriminalamt Wien) arrested 15 suspects and carried out 37 searches in Vienna and its surroundings.
On the radar of the EPPO are several criminal organisations that are suspected of defrauding over €3.5 million from the so-called ´Reparaturbonus´ (´Repair Bonus´) programme financed by the EU via the Recovery and Resilience Fund (RRF). The ´Reparaturbonus´ is an initiative of the Austrian government, which promotes and incentivises the repair of electronic devices and household appliances. Its purpose is to encourage sustainability, reduce electronic waste and support local repair business.
NCA arrest man in Wolverhampton as part of operation to take down Europe-wide people smuggling gang
National Crime Agency
The National Crime Agency has participated in a major international operation targeting a Syrian organised crime group considered one of Europe's most significant people smuggling networks. The German-led investigation against the group, supported by the NCA and co-ordinated through Europol and Eurojust, has so-far seen at least 20 people arrested in a series of raids across the continent on Wednesday 20 November.
SFC issues restriction notices to four brokers to freeze client accounts linked to suspected account hacking and market manipulation
Securities and Futures Commission
The Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) has issued restriction notices to four brokers, prohibiting them from dealing with or processing certain assets held in their client accounts for suspected market manipulation or fraud involving unauthorised online trades placed through hacked accounts between 24 October and 6 November 2024