Happy weekend! It’s September 21, and we’re tracking top stories to keep you up to speed: Hezbollah financier guilty of sanctions evasion, how Russian students hacked online poker, Binance invests $213M in compliance, the powerful celebrities that shielded Diddy, and much more…

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🎯 Man the U.S. Says Financed Hezbollah Admits Trying to Evade Sanctions.  Bazzi pleaded guilty in Brooklyn federal court to conspiring to violate Treasury Department prohibitions. DOJ

🔥 Hack of Hezbollah devices exposes dark corners of Asia supply chains Reuters

🔥 Mystery Profile Linked to Hungarian Firm Implicated in Exploding Pagers Bellingcat

Top Stories

🌎 How University Students Hacked Online Poker. Russian students invented the world’s best online poker bots, and what that means for the multi-billion-dollar industry. Bloomberg 

🌎 Binance CEO Invests in Compliance to Move on From Past Mistakes. The crypto exchange spent $213M on compliance programs in 2023. WSJ 

🔐 Two Stole $230M in Crypto and Went on Spending Spree Record

🌎 The Powerful Celebs Who Acted as Diddy’s Human Shield. Here’s a rundown of some of the most powerful celebrities who’ve spent significant time with Diddy over the years. Daily Beast

🚀 Industry News: Hummingbird Acquires LogicLoop, Opening the Door for Risk and Compliance Teams Seeking Seamless Data Integration and Automation Hummingbird

🌎 Mexican cartel leader’s son convicted of violent role in drug trafficking plot. “El Menchito,” is the son of fugitive CJNG cartel boss Nemesio Oseguera and served as cartel’s second-in-command before his extradition to U.S. in 2020. AP

🚚 $1B cocaine ring dubbed "The Commission" busted in Australia CBS

🌎 Why Putin’s Attempt to Rewire Global Trade Is Faltering, in Charts and Maps. Moscow redirected oil sales, but forging new routes for commodities proves difficult amid costs and sanctions. WSJ

🇮🇷 Iran withheld launchers for missiles sent to Russia Reuters

🌎 Georgetown To Host Convicted PFLP Terrorist, Hamas Sympathizers, Oct. 7 Apologists at Qatar Conference. Among the 70 scholars is Shawan Jabarin, a former senior member of the PFLP and general director of the Al-Haq organization. Free Beacon

🌎 Chinese hacking "typhoons" threaten U.S. infrastructure. The CCP is running another campaign to hack as many American organizations as possible — heightening the threat across critical infrastructure. Axios 

🚀 Featured Report: Brazilian Authorities Launch Operation Niflheim to Tackle Crypto-Related Financial Crimes TRM Labs

🌎 USC accused of fraud by ‘Varsity Blues’ parent whose conviction was overturned. John Wilson, a former executive at Gap, was convicted in 2021 of fraud and bribery in the college admission scheme. LAT 

🌎 Fantasy football feud leads to fake bomb threat, international investigation and federal charges. Witty banter and rivalrous trash talk are commonplace in fantasy football leagues, but one man’s online beef resulted big problems. CNN

Russia

🇷🇺 Sanctions on Russia’s Oil Tankers Lack Bite Bloomberg

🇷🇺 The Indian Apartment Behind Russian Efforts to Break U.S. Gas Sanctions Bloomberg 

🇷🇺 The Politics Behind EU Sanctions RFE 

🇷🇺 West Seeks to Increase the Costs of Russia Sanctions Evasion Carnegie 

🇷🇺 US Warns Allies Russia Seeking to Disrupt Cargo Shipping Firms Bloomberg

China

🇨🇳 Philippines says China-centric Pogos ‘deeply’ linked to global crime rings Bloomberg 

🇨🇳 China official infamous for keeping 58 staff members as lovers, amassing illegal funds, jailed SCMP

🇨🇳 International lawmakers call on VW to withdraw from Xinjiang Reuters

🇨🇳 Saskatoon set to take on China in production of critical minerals Saskatoon Star-Phoenix

Corruption & Financial Crime

💸 Hedge fund mogul who helped topple Marissa Mayer sued by own mom for $13M NYP

💸 Asset Manager Macquarie Paying $80M to Settle Fraud Claims Reuters

💸 NYC sheriff under investigation as Adams’ inner circle faces federal probes Politico

💸 Vietnamese real estate tycoon, sentenced to death for fraud, faces new trial AP 

💸 Banker Who Revived EF Hutton Is Embroiled in Federal Fraud Probe Bloomberg

Crypto & Cyber

🔐 Crypto Exchange BingX Hacked, Onchain Data Shows Over $43M Drained CoinDesk 

🔐 Snowflake Hacker Still Active, Finding New Victims Bloomberg

🔐 German Government Shuts Down 47 Exchanges CoinDesk

Trafficking

🚚 A Discussion with Deborah Lehr and Tess Davis of Antiquities Coalition (pod) AML Conversation

🚚 More than 100 killed or missing as Sinaloa Cartel war rages in Mexico Reuters

🚚 U.S. stirs up the hornet’s nest of drug trafficking in Mexico El Pais

🚚 Sin City Deciples Founder Sentenced to 360 Months in Prison DOJ

🚚 Singaporean drug trafficker faces death penalty after deportation from Thailand SCMP

HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND!

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