Category: Analysis

Regulatory Watch News

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  12 members of an Irish high-risk criminal network arrested

  Europol

  March 26, 2025

  This week, Irish and Spanish law enforcement authorities took decisive action against one of Ireland’s high-risk criminal networks. In a coordinated series of raids in both countries, An Garda Síochána and Guardia Civil officers arrested 12 suspects (6 in Ireland and 6 in Spain). The criminals are suspected of involvement in large-scale drug trafficking, mainly by transporting drugs hidden in vehicles from Spain to Ireland.Law enforcement uncovered the network’s activities, including drug-related crimes such as money laundering, when it dismantled the Ghost encrypted communication platform in September 2024. In an ultimately unsuccessful attempt to evade detection, the criminals had relied on sophisticated encrypted communications and had fragmented their exchanges across multiple platforms.

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  Fraudulent websites and internet banking login screens related to The Bank of East Asia, Limited

  HKMA

  March 26, 2025

  The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) wishes to alert members of the public to a press release issued by The Bank of East Asia, Limited relating to fraudulent websites and internet banking login screens, which have been reported to the HKMA.  A hyperlink to the press release is available on the HKMA website.

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  Treasury Sanctions Additional Iranian Intelligence Officers Involved in the Probable Death and Cover-Up of Robert Levinson

  OFAC

  March 25, 2025

  WASHINGTON — Today, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), in coordination with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), is imposing sanctions on three Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) officials who were involved in the abduction, detention, and probable death of former FBI Special Agent Robert A. “Bob” Levinson.  The individuals designated today, Reza Amiri Moghadam, Gholamhossein Mohammadnia, and Taqi Daneshvar, all played a role in Mr. Levinson’s abduction, probable death, and Iran’s efforts to cover up or obfuscate their responsibility.  This action follows the December 2020 OFAC designations of two Iranian MOIS officers, Mohammad Baseri and Ahmad Khazai, who acted in their capacity as MOIS officers in Mr. Levinson’s abduction, detention, and probable death.