EU Issues Revised List of Non-Cooperative Tax Jurisdictions |
On February 20, 2024, the Council of the European Union issued a revised list of non-cooperative jurisdictions for tax purposes, which includes American Samoa, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Fiji,... |
Bruce Zagaris |
40 |
3 |
2024-03-22 |
European Union |
Tax Enforcement |
European Parliament Adopts Directive on Asset Recovery and Confiscation |
On March 13, 2024, the European Parliament adopted a legislative resolution on the proposal for a directive on asset recovery and confiscation. [1]
[1] European... |
Bruce Zagaris |
40 |
3 |
2024-03-22 |
European Union |
Economic Integration |
European Union Criminalizes Violation and Circumvention of the Union Sanctions |
On March 12, 2024, the European Parliament approved new rules to harmonize the enforcement of EU sanctions across member states.
With 543 votes in favor, 45... |
Michael Plachta |
40 |
3 |
2024-03-22 |
European Union |
Sanctions |
U.S. Grand Jury Indicts Hong Kong National for Smuggling Turtles into the U.S. |
On March 8, 2024, a federal grand jury in Brooklyn, New York charged a Chinese man in a four-count indictment with smuggling eastern box turtles, a protected wildlife species, from the United... |
Bruce Zagaris |
40 |
3 |
2024-03-15 |
China, United States |
Environment |
Countries Agree on Best Practices for Nazi-Era Art |
On March 6, 2024, in recognition of the 25th anniversary of the Washington Conference Principles, 44 countries signed an agreement in Washington D.C. to strengthen those guidelines. The new... |
Bruce Zagaris |
40 |
3 |
2024-03-15 |
|
Cultural Property |
Book Review: Challenged Sovereignty: The Impact of Drugs, Crime, Terrorism, and Cyber Threats in the Caribbean |
This book discusses the drug trade, crime, terrorism, and cyber threats in the Caribbean. The book‘s theme is that cross-border Problems Without Passports (PWPs) have rocked the very... |
Review by Bruce Zagaris and Book by Ivelaw Lloyd Griffith |
40 |
3 |
2024-03-15 |
Caribbean |
Counter-terrorism, Cybercrime, Drugs & Trafficking |
Human Rights Watch Documents and Recommends Action on Transnational Repression |
On February 22, 2024, Human Rights Watch issued a report on the targeting by governments of their dissidents abroad and made recommendations on responding to the repression. The report covers... |
Bruce Zagaris |
40 |
3 |
2024-03-15 |
|
|
European Parliament Calls for the Return of Romanian National Treasure Illegally Appropriated by Russia |
On March 14, 2024, the European Parliament adopted an unprecedented resolutionon the return of Romanian national treasure illegally appropriated by Russia. The Parliament, in a historic vote, has... |
Michael Plachta* |
40 |
3 |
2024-03-15 |
European Union, Romania, Russia |
Art and Cultural Property |
U.S. Arrests Florida Man for Tax Evasion and False Statements Relating to Swiss Accounts |
On March 11, 2024, the United States Department of Justice announced the unsealing of a criminal complaint in the Southern District of Florida charging a Florida man with conspiring to defraud the... |
Bruce Zagaris |
40 |
3 |
2024-03-15 |
Switzerland, United States |
Tax Enforcement |
Cybersecurity Firm Leak Exposes Chinese Government Hacking Practices and Process of Penetrating Domestic and Foreign Entities |
A series of documents that leaked from the Sichuan branch of Shanghai Anxun Information Technology Co., Ltd. (“I-Soon”) in mid-February 2024 have revealed crucial details about the... |
Kenneth Boggess |
40 |
3 |
2024-03-08 |
China |
Cybercrime |
Kenya and Haiti Sign Agreement, Allowing Deployment of Kenya Police |
On March 1, 2024, Kenya and Haiti signed a reciprocal agreement on police cooperation. The agreement apparently will enable Kenya to send a contingent of 1,000 police officers to Haiti to... |
Bruce Zagaris |
40 |
3 |
2024-03-08 |
Haiti, Kenya |
Organized Crime |
U.S. Indicts Man in San Diego for Smuggling Potential Greenhouse Gases into the U.S. |
On March 4, 2024, the United States arrested Michael Hart of San Diego, charging him with smuggling potent greenhouse gases into the U.S. from Mexico and selling them for profit, in violation of... |
Bruce Zagaris |
40 |
3 |
2024-03-08 |
United States |
Environment |
U.S. District Court in Alabama Rules CTA Unconstitutional |
On March 1, 2024, Judge Liles C. Burke, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama (Northeastern Division) issued a 53-page memorandum opinion, declaring that the Corporate... |
Bruce Zagaris |
40 |
3 |
2024-03-08 |
United States |
Money Laundering, Terrorism |
European Union Adopts New Directive to Strengthen Protection Environment Through Criminal Law |
On February 27, 2024, the European Parliament approved new rules on environmental crimes and related sanctions. The new directive was adopted with 499 votes in favor, 100 against and 23 abstentions... |
Michael Plachta |
40 |
3 |
2024-03-01 |
European Union |
Environment, European Union |
SFO Charges Two Former Petrofac Executives with Bribery in Follow Up to Company’s Conviction |
On February 16, 2024, the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) charged two former Petrofac senior executives Marwan Chedid and George Salibi, with bribery.[1] Both Chedid and Salibi served in various... |
Bruce Zagaris |
40 |
3 |
2024-03-01 |
United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom |
Corruption |
Czech Republic Extradites Person Charged with Iranian Murder Plot against Journalist in the U.S. |
On February 21, 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice announced the extradition by the Czech Republic of Polad Omarov, a/k/a “Araz Aliyev,” a/k/a “Polad Qaqa,” a/k/a “... |
Bruce Zagaris |
40 |
3 |
2024-03-01 |
Czech Republic, Iran, United States |
Extradition |
International Law Enforcement Coalition Takes Down LockBit Ransomware Gang |
On February 20, 2024, the National Crime Agency (NCA) in the United Kingdom, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), and nine other law enforcement agencies announced they have taken control of... |
Bruce Zagaris |
40 |
3 |
2024-03-01 |
United Kingdom, United States |
Cybercrime |
FATF Plenary Makes New Guidance for Beneficial Ownership of Legal Arrangements, Will Release Consultation on Wire Transfers, Non-Profit Organizations, and Virtual Asset Jurisdictions |
On February 23, the Financial Action Task Force concluded the fifth plenary under the Presidency of T. Raja Kumar of Singapore.
New Guidance for R. 25 on Beneficial Ownership and... |
Bruce Zagaris |
40 |
3 |
2024-03-01 |
|
FATF, Money Laundering |
DOJ Disrupts Botnet Controlled by Russian Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff |
On February 15, 2024, the Department of Justice announced that through a court-authorized operation, it has neutralized a network of hundreds of small office/home office (SOHO) routers that GRU... |
Bruce Zagaris |
40 |
2 |
2024-02-22 |
Russia, United States |
Cybercrime |
GAO Highlights U.S. Agencies’ Efforts to Mitigate Risks Posed to Economic Sanctions by Digital Assets |
On December 13, 2024, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report on the Use of Digital Assets to Evade U.S. Sanctions... |
Bruce Zagaris |
40 |
2 |
2024-02-22 |
United States |
Cybercrime, Economic Sanctions |