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ISIS Crisis, Graham Sanctions, and Bribe Storm
Illicit Edge - Edition for July 29, 2026
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Greetings! It’s July 29, and we’re tracking today’s top stories: German officials call for tighter extremism laws after Berlin Pride attack, Senate advances sweeping Russia sanctions bill, US Says Ex-Goldman Banker Berko Paid a ‘Holy Rain’ of Bribes, French prosecutors accuse BNP Paribas of aggravated money laundering, and much more…
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🎯 FEATURED STORY
German officials call for tighter extremism laws after Berlin Pride attack. Security authorities said Ballout was a supporter of Islamic State and last year attempted to join the group in Syria. The Guardian
Canadians returning from ISIS ‘highly likely’ to pose threat Global News
🔥 TOP STORIES
Senate advances sweeping Russia sanctions bill AFP
US Says Ex-Goldman Banker Berko Paid a ‘Holy Rain’ of Bribes Bloomberg
French prosecutors accuse BNP Paribas of aggravated money laundering Brussels Times
Trump's war on fraud expands as Treasury launches new site with whistleblower incentives Fox News
UN's migration agency warns of growing trafficking in online scam centers AP
OpenAI's agents hacked second account during model testing Axios
Myanmar Passes Law Allowing the Death Penalty for Scam Operators Bloomberg
Crypto hacks hit record high in H1 2026 as losses top $1 billion The Block
Ghanaian National Sentenced To 85 Months In Prison For Stealing More Than $10 Million Via Romance Scams DOJ
Moncrief bank, formerly Banque Havilland (Monaco), fined €1 million for anti-money-laundering failures Monaco Life
How a $140 Million Crypto Real Estate Empire Fell Apart WSJ
High-Level Member of Clan del Golfo Sentenced to Over 12 Years in Prison for Drug Trafficking DOJ
Chinese military shipped coronavirus vials to U.S. more than a year before pandemic Washington Times
IN THE NEWS
🚩 RUSSIA & CHINA
He Served China’s Police State of Xinjiang. He Says It Imprisoned Him, Too. NYT
Russia's central bank drafts first rules for ‘organized’ crypto trading The Block
Owner of Company Spearheading Kyrgyzstan’s Planned ‘Eco-City’ Had Business Links with Gov’t Official’s Son OCCRP
Montenegro Ends Visa-Free Entry for Russians Amid 2028 EU Membership Bid Moscow Times
Mali’s Shifting Battlefield Challenges Russia and Draws U.S. Attention Soufan Center
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🚀 SANCTIONS & TERROR
TotalEnergies benefits from EU sanctions reprieve on Russian gas Financial Times
Taking the Pulse: Are the EU’s Watered-Down Russia Sanctions Better than None? Carnegie Endowment
U.S. officials believe sanctions could hurt Iran more than bombs Axios
What the latest US sanctions bill means for Russia—and for China, India, and Iran Atlantic Council
Hezbollah and Iran built parallel school networks to radicalize Lebanese youth Jerusalem Post
ISIS supporter admits to disseminating terrorist propaganda via social media DOJ
💸 CORRUPTION & FINANCIAL CRIME
Poland Seeks Extradition of Ex-Justice Minister From US Over Criminal Charges OCCRP
Financial empire of Dodgers owner Mark Walter reportedly being probed Los Angeles Times
Zurich insurance fires a dozen staff following FINMA proceedings Swissinfo
EY and partner fined £1.2m over Made.com accounting failures The Independent
Ukrainian-Israeli Citizen Sentenced for Multi-Million Dollar Fake Brokerage Scheme DOJ
Shein discloses FTC probe in US, warns of significant payments Reuters
🔐 CRYPTO & CYBER
Cyberattack hits more than 30 water utilities across Minnesota Star Tribune
India’s Bank of Baroda confirms cyber incident after hackers claim data theft Recorded Future
U.S. Senate puts off crypto Clarity Act for now as it focuses limited bandwidth elsewhere CoinDesk
Mirage Kitten targets Middle East and Africa region with new malware Securelist
🚚 TRAFFICKING
Malaysian police raid online scam centers in Johor and arrest 335 people, including 309 Chinese nationals Reuters
On patrol with drug police in Ecuador, where even colleagues can't be trusted BBC
Police arrest man suspected of stealing thousands of archaeological artifacts Times of Israel
Ex-Wife of Cartel Leader Pleads Guilty to Criminal Violation of the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act DOJ
“They can conquer who believe they can.” —Virgil
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