Happy Monday! It’s February 24, and we’re tracking top stories to start the week: Nigerian corruption in South Carolina, meet the oligarch who's pushing Putin to destroy Ukraine, why the Sinaloa Cartel may never be the same again, meet the terrorist overseeing Abbas’s ‘reformed’ payment system for terrorists, and much more…

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🎯 FEATURED STORY

Power & Polo: A South Carolina town has an unusual history as a magnet for rich horse lovers. What secrets does it hold? Aiken is more than 5,000 miles from Nigeria, but Sambo Dasuki’s trip to South Carolina’s sandhills in the early 2000s makes more sense given his family’s controversial rise to power. Post & Courier

🌎 TOP STORIES

Russia's real strongman: Meet the oligarch who's pushing Putin to destroy Ukraine Business Insider 

Why the Sinaloa Cartel May Never Be the Same Again WSJ

Meet the Terrorist Overseeing Abbas’s ‘Reformed’ Payment System for Terrorists Free Beacon

Researchers accuse North Korea of $1.4B Bybit crypto heist TC

Why American Businesses Aren’t Raring to Get Back Into Russia NYT

EU spends more on Russian oil and gas than financial aid to Ukraine Guardian 

U.S. imposes new sanctions on Iran's shadow fleet USAT

The Corruption of The New England Journal of Medicine City Journal

Over 1,000 women exploited in human trafficking ring after being "lured to Spain with bogus job offers" CBS

Somali Pirates Are Back on the Hunt After a Decade of Peace VICE

Europe Braces for Freeze of U.S. Foreign Corruption Practices Act Bloomberg

DIGITAL EVENT

Join our partner Unit21 on Wednesday, February 26, at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET for an expert panel on the latest scam techniques, how fraudsters operate, and what businesses are doing to stay ahead.

🚩 RUSSIA & CHINA

Ex-Reform UK Wales leader accused of taking Russian-linked bribes BBC

UK announces sweeping package of sanctions against Russia Reuters

Report says Chinese fishing vessels used North Korean crews in breach of UN bans AP

Trump administration pushes out top China export policy official Reuters

China, Iran-based threat actors have found new ways to use American AI models for covert influence Fox

💸 CORRUPTION & FINANCIAL CRIME

Gerard Depardieu Under Investigation for Fiscal Fraud in France Variety 

EU begins easing Syria energy, transport and banking sanctions to help revive its economy Politico

Police arrest 22 in suspected 160 million-euro EU fraud at Czech hospital Reuters

Vietnam police bust $105M cross-border money laundering ring Straits Times

Biden Environmental Justice Adviser Received Millions in Taxpayer Funds After Personally Applying For EPA Grant Free Beacon

UK will impose sanctions on Rwanda 'soon' in response to Congo conflict Reuters

🔐 CRYPTO & CYBER

Crypto's biggest hacks and heists after $1.5B theft from Bybit Reuters

Robinhood says SEC dismissed crypto unit investigation CNBC

Brazilian national faces 20-year sentence for $290M Bitcoin Ponzi scheme Crypto News

Infini loses $50M in exploit; developer deception suspected Cointelegraph

🚚 TRAFFICKING

In Suriname, a shadowy hunt for traffickers selling jaguar parts to China WaPo

Leader of the H-2 Drug Cartel Extradited from Mexico to Face Narcotics Trafficking Charges in Brooklyn Federal Court DOJ

Thousands in limbo on Thai-Myanmar border after scam centre crackdown Reuters

Mexican drug lord 'El Mayo' wants US plea deal without death penalty Reuters

Join our partner Unit21 on Wednesday, February 26, at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET for an expert panel on the latest scam techniques, how fraudsters operate, and what businesses are doing to stay ahead.

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