Hello, and welcome to episode 118 of the Financial Crime Weekly Podcast, I’m Chris Kirkbride. On sanctions this week, designations from the US, and extension of existing sanctions from the EU. On bribery and corruption, the anti-corruption body in Zambia is cleared out, and another pressure group gives its two penn’orth on the new Labour government’s approach to corruption. The money laundering news comes from the IMF, the US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, and MONEYVAL has published a report on Jersey. There is also a round-up of the cyber-attack news this week.

As usual, I have linked the main stories flagged in the podcast in the description. These are:

Council of the European Union, Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine: Council renews economic sanctions for a further 6 months.

Europol, Internet Organised Crime Threat Assessment (IOCTA) 2024.

Europol, Internet Organised Crime Threat Assessment (IOCTA) 2024 (Report).

International Monetary Fund, Panama: Financial Sector Assessment Program - Technical Note on Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT).

MONEYVAL, MONEYVAL acknowledges Jersey’s progress in improving measures to combat money laundering and financing of terrorism.

MONEYVAL, Anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing measures Jersey: Fifth Round Mutual Evaluation Report.

National Crime Agency, NCA infiltrates world's most prolific DDoS-for-hire service.

National Cyber Security Centre, "If you have knowledge, let others light their candles in it." (Blog post).

National Cyber Security Centre, New legislation will help counter the cyber threat to our essential services (Blog post).

New Zealand Serious Fraud Office, Phone scam.

Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation, GENERAL LICENCE - Russian Banks – UK subsidiaries – Guernsey subsidiary – EU subsidiaries - Basic needs, routine holding and maintenance, the payment of legal fees and insolvency related payments: INT/2022/1280876.

Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation, General licence - INT/2022/1280876.

Office of Foreign Assets Control, Treasury Targets PRC-based Procurement Network Supporting DPRK Ballistic Missile and Space Programs.

Office of Foreign Assets Control, Treasury Implements REPO for Ukrainians Act Reporting Requirement.

Office of Foreign Assets Control, Treasury Sanctions Rebel Alliance Driving Instability in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Solicitors Regulation Authority, Annual report by the Money Laundering Reporting Officer (MLRO) for the year ended 5 April 2024 (Annex).

Spotlight on Corruption, Thin gruel for anti-corruption campaigners – the new government’s King’s Speech.

UKFIU, SARs in Action: Issue 26.

US Department of Justice, Leader of $200 Million Ponzi Scheme Pleads Guilty to Mail and Wire Fraud Conspiracy and Faces 20 Years’ Imprisonment.