Happy Friday! It’s September 18, and we’re tracking top stories to take you into the weekend: U.S. sanctions Iranian crypto exchange BitBank over bitcoin transfers to IRGC, Washington Square Park drug kingpin and his 'Yellow Bag boys' ran wild Wall Street-worthy operation, the online predator next door: Feds hunt down L.A. members of child abuse network, Chinese Gangsters Turned This California Paradise into a Marijuana Factory, and much more…

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Breaking News for FinCrime Professionals
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🎯 FEATURED STORY

US sanctions Iranian crypto exchange BitBank over alleged bitcoin transfers to IRGC. In June, OFAC sanctioned Nobitex, Iran’s largest crypto exchange, along with Wallex, Bitpin and Ramzinex under the administration’s earlier "Economic Fury" campaign. Block

🔥 TOP STORIES

Washington Square Park drug kingpin and his 'Yellow Bag boys' ran wild Wall Street-worthy operation New York Post

The online predator next door: Feds hunt down L.A. members of child sex abuse network Los Angeles Times

Chinese Gangsters Turned This California Paradise into a Marijuana Factory City Journal

US Treasury gathers global financial institutions to advance Iran sanctions Reuters

House approves sweeping Russia sanctions bill, sending it to Trump AP

ISIS-K militant sentenced to 20 years for supporting deadly 2021 Abbey Gate bombing Fox News

UK regulator probing payments firm over suspected anti-money laundering failings Reuters

Inside Tajin Group’s Phishing and Money Laundering Network Recorded Future

Seven arrests in Brazil during crackdown on South America-Europe cocaine pipeline Europol

Six Convicted, €300M Confiscation Ordered in Mafia-Linked EU Tax Fraud OCCRP

Joint statement of the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team (MSMT) on the report covering the DPRK’s overseas labour program Australian DFAT

UK Freezes $72-Million London Townhouse in Connection to Sanctioned Prince Group Associate OCCRP

Arizona Addiction Treatment Clinic Owner Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Leadership Role in $69M Medicaid Fraud Scheme DOJ

Criminal Convergence? Chinese-origin scam syndicates and their reach into South Asia Global Initiative

Cuban dance teacher ordered EU sabotage attacks from Russia DW

Southern Glazer's settles California wine bribery case for $12.5 million Los Angeles Times

🚩 RUSSIA & CHINA

U.S. Departments of Education and State Open Foreign Funding Investigations into Duke University and the University of North Dakota U.S. Department of Education

How Social Posts Made in China Sparked Anti-U.S. Protests in America Newsweek

Russia-installed officials in occupied Sevastopol begin seizing property from owners with relatives in Ukraine The Insider

FBI reveals sharp increase in spying, other intelligence operations by China Washington Times

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🚀 SANCTIONS & TERROR

Sanctioning Officials of the Palestinian Authority and Members of the Palestine Liberation Organization U.S. State Department

Further Sanctions on Cuba’s Mineral Wealth and Military Modernization Apparatus U.S. State Department

Belgian Court Rules Treasury Lacked Authority to Reject Release of Russian Assets OCCRP

India faces 100% tariff threat over Russian oil after US House vote BBC

U.S. slaps South Africa with new sanctions due to alleged discrimination against White people CBS News

LAF-Hezbollah coordination and the limits of Lebanon’s disarmament effort Long War Journal

💸 CORRUPTION & FINANCIAL CRIME

New Center Brings Agencies Together to Detect Fraud Across Government Programs FBI

Hidden cameras, bribes and drug sales: Inside Toronto’s unsealed police corruption files Toronto Star

Ex-Connecticut official flees to Greece before sentencing for corruption AP

Georgia sentences ex-security chief to 13 years in bribery case Reuters

Russian National Sentenced for Synthetic Identity Theft Fraud Scheme and Conspiring to Submit Fraudulent Voter Registrations DOJ

Ex-French Justice Minister Stands Trial Over Renault-Nissan Consultancy Case OCCRP

🔐 CRYPTO & CYBER

Coast Guard, FBI board US-bound foreign ships in order to probe for cyberattacks CyberScoop

FBI Seizes DDoS-for-Hire Domains as Part of Continuing District of Alaska Crackdown on ‘Booter’ and ‘Stresser’ DDoS Services DOJ

AI Helps Hackers Open a New Front in Crypto’s Cybercrime Wave Bloomberg

China-Aligned FamousSparrow Deploys SparroWocky Backdoor Across Latin America Hacker News

Iran-Linked Handala Hack Tied to HEAVYGRAM Telegram Backdoor That Can Steal Passwords Hacker News

🚚 TRAFFICKING

Hitman who dismembered bodies for cartel slapped with terrorism charge Washington Times

A Detective’s Perspective on the Rapid Rise in Art Theft Wall Street Journal

Presidential Determination on Major Drug Transit or Major Illicit Drug Producing Countries for Fiscal Year 2027 U.S. State Department

Smuggling suspected as more rare animals seen in India DW

Five sentenced over debt bondage people smuggling conspiracy National Crime Agency

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!

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