Greetings! It’s October 5, and we’re tracking top stories to take you into the weekend: Moscow moves to lift sanctions on the Taliban, China targets U.S. wiretap systems, former IRS-CI Chief calls Binance’s Gambaryan a hostage, the seedy Smartmatic lawsuit that could tank Fox News, and much more…

🚀 Watch Part 2 of the launch of Designated with Yaya Jata Fanusie.

Bring Tigran Home!

Featured Story

🎯 Russia Pushes to Lift Sanctions on Taliban. Moscow moves towards removing its own designation of the Taliban as a terrorist organization to advance cooperation between Moscow and Kabul. RFE

Top Stories

🌎 U.S. Wiretap Systems Targeted in China-Linked Hack. AT&T, Verizon are among broadband providers breached in China-linked ‘Salt Typhoon’ hack. WSJ 

🌎 Binance Executive Is A Hostage, Former IRS-CI Chief Says. In Illicit Edge’s “Designated,” Weber shed light on the dire conditions that Binance executive Tigran Gambaryan is facing in prison in Nigeria. Crypto News

🌎 What Dictators, Corruption and Threesomes Have to Do With a Lawsuit That Could Kneecap Fox News. These days, a political trial can look a lot like a political campaign, complete with communications pros, oppo research and gobs of dollars. Politico 

🌎 Big Russia Bet Is Minting Fortunes on Paper for Retail Investors. The investors’ predicament won’t draw sympathy among political leaders, who’ve sought to present a united front against Moscow. Bloomberg

🌎 U.S. and Microsoft Seize 107 Russian Domains in Major Cyber Fraud Crackdown. The domains were used for spear-phishing campaign targeting the email accounts of the U.S. government. Hacker News

🇷🇺 Russia arrests nearly 100 with suspected ties to sanctioned crypto exchange Record

🌎 Coinbase to Delist Non-Compliant Stablecoins in EU in December. The EU is set to fully implement new rules to oversee the crypto industry, known as MiCA, by the end of this year. Bloomberg

🌎 Billionaire who brought F1 to Singapore charged in landmark corruption probe. Ong Beng Seng, a Singapore-based Malaysian businessman, is managing director of Singapore-listed Hotel Properties Limited. CNBC

💸 Singapore tightens anti-money laundering measures Bangkok Post

🌎 In a Cat-and-Mouse Game, Russian Oil Tankers Are Flying New Flags. A shadowy network of ships has registered in Gabon, highlighting how Putin is building an economy beyond the reach of Western sanctions. NYT 

🔑 International trade and macroeconomic dynamics with sanctions Vox EU

🌎 Cyprus’ luxury resort tied to Russia’s $230M Magnitsky scandal. Police closing in on major money laundering probe linking Cap St Georges resort to notorious tax fraud case. KNEWS 

🎙️Program Rule Comment Letter, DOJ Compliance Guidelines, and FBI Crime Data Explorer AML Conversations

Russia & China

📌 Russian Missiles, American Chips Bloomberg

📌 EU Moves to Sanction Iran for Providing Missiles to Russia Bloomberg

📌 China's WuXi explores sale of pharma operations as U.S. restrictions loom Reuters 

📌 Texas oil companies among those targeted by Russian lawsuits Houston Chronicle 

📌 Angola Diamonds Not Under Sanctions But Russia Link Is Obstacle Bloomberg 

📌 Russia files lawsuit against Shell units Reuters

Corruption & Financial Crime

💸 Millions of dollars in IRS refund checks sent through mail were stolen in massive fraud NYP

💸 After a Deloitte client’s $2.4B tax dodge faltered, it won’t say if it helped others exploit same loophole ICIJ

💸 Former Executives of Carbon-Credit Project Developer CQC Charged With Fraud WSJ

💸 Opposition Leader González Says He Plans to Return to Venezuela to Assume Power Bloomberg

💸 U.S. Toxicology Lab to Pay $27M to Settle Kickback Allegations OCCRP

Crypto & Cyber

🔐 This Teenage Hacker Became a Legend Attacking Companies. Then His Rivals Attacked Him. WSJ 

🔐 Tech platforms urged to tackle Hamas’ and Hezbollah’s online propaganda Record

🔐 Mystery creator of Bitcoin allegedly identified in HBO documentary Politico

🔐 ‘Pig butchering’ trading apps found on Google Play, App Store Tech Radar

🔐 Crypto phishing scams drained $46M in September Cointelegraph

Trafficking

🚚 DOJ Charges Ten Pharma Distributors For Unlawful Sales Of 70M Opioid Pills DOJ 

🚚 Immigrant murder rate 'tens of thousands' higher than ICE's bombshell figures Fox

🚚 France, Italy launch project to exchange migrant trafficking information Reuters

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!

Share Illicit Edge with friends!

They can subscribe here for free and never miss a story.