Welcome to episode 219 of the Financial Crime Weekly Podcast. I am Chris Kirkbride. In this episode, we lead with the UK government’s proposal to establish a new National Police Service, dubbed a "British FBI." In sanctions news, the US Treasury has designated nine vessels linked to Iran’s "shadow fleet," OFSI has fined Bank of Scotland for Russia-related breaches, and a UN expert has urged the US to lift sanctions against International Criminal Court officials. We also consider significant enforcement action, including an 18-year sentence for a fraud courier, a 46-month sentence of a Chinese national for money laundering, and bribery charges unsealed against a former NATO procurement official. Furthermore, we look at a £5.6 million confiscation order against a professional launderer tied to a massive Bitcoin fraud and a landmark report warning that fraud may soon constitute half of all crime in England and Wales. Finally, we cover the EU’s progress on a new Anti-Corruption Directive and the FCA’s warning to consumers regarding the risks of high-risk securities under the new public offers regime.

A transcript of this podcast, with links to the stories, will be available at www.crimes.financial.

Welcome to episode 218 of the Financial Crime Weekly Podcast. I am Chris Kirkbride. In this episode, we look at decisive action from the US Treasury targeting a hidden Hamas support network using nonprofit fronts and a major Costa Rica-based cocaine trafficking and money laundering operation. In the UK, the City of London Police launched the "Report Fraud" service, and the SFO has charged two former executives following the collapse of the prepaid funeral provider. We also look at significant global compliance shifts, including a former TD Bank employee’s guilty plea in a $26 million laundering scheme and MONEYVAL reports highlighting strengthened AML frameworks in Azerbaijan and Estonia. Finally, we look at the IMF’s new governance diagnostic for Nepal and the transition to the UK Sanctions List as the sole authoritative source for domestic designations. 

A transcript of this podcast, with links to the stories, will be available at www.crimes.financial.

Welcome to episode 217 of the Financial Crime Weekly Podcast. I am Chris Kirkbride. In this episode, we lead with the US Treasury sanctioning 21 entities and individuals involved in Houthi oil smuggling and weapons procurement, while the EU marks a historic structural shift as the European Banking Authority transfers all AML/CFT mandates to the new AMLA. We examine the SFO’s conviction of three directors in a £70 million "ethical forestry" fraud and the FCA’s £309,843 fine against a consultant for repeated insider dealing. Furthermore, we discuss South Africa’s legislative push to close FATF gaps via its updated 2025 Amendment Bill, and a stern warning from a UK Treasury Select Committee that regulators are moving too slowly to address the systemic risks posed by the rapid integration of AI. Finally, we consider the industrialisation of cybercrime, the NCSC’s warning regarding escalating pro-Russian DDoS attacks on UK infrastructure, and new research into how youth cybercrime often begins with everyday online risk-taking.

A transcript of this podcast, with links to the stories, will be available at www.crimes.financial.

Welcome to episode 216 of the Financial Crime Weekly Podcast. I am Chris Kirkbride. In this episode, we lead with significant sanctions updates as the UK and EU lower the oil price cap on Russian crude to $44.10 per barrel, and the US Treasury targets Iranian shadow-banking networks and security officials linked to illicit financing. We also analyse major domestic and international enforcement, including the UK SFO’s £300 million bribery and fraud probe into Home REIT, Spain’s record €30 million AML penalty against CaixaBank, and the sentencing of a Massachusetts man to 15 years for international money laundering. Furthermore, we look at Transparency International’s warning regarding the erosion of US anti-corruption leadership and the EU's decision to remove South Africa from its list of high-risk jurisdictions. Finally, we cover MONEYVAL’s latest progress reports on a number of nations and a new transnational coalition of financial intelligence units meeting in Washington to disrupt global organised crime.

A transcript of this podcast, with links to the stories, will be available at www.crimes.financial.

Welcome to episode 215 of the Financial Crime Weekly Podcast. I am Chris Kirkbride. In this episode, we lead with significant global sanctions updates, including a multilateral warning regarding North Korean cyber-enabled sanctions evasion and the US designation of several Muslim Brotherhood branches as terrorist organisations. We also look at major legal developments, such as the five-year money laundering sentence handed to Georgia’s former Prime Minister, Irakli Garibashvili, and a landmark UK High Court ruling affirming the continued enforceability of the Guralp Systems DPA. Furthermore, we consider federal charges against a former New York City official for bribery and PPP fraud, as well as the US government’s civil forfeiture action against cryptocurrency tied to a "pig-butchering" scam. Finally, we cover MONEYVAL’s assessment of Poland’s crypto-asset safeguards, a significant guilty plea in a multimillion-dollar insider trading scheme, and the FCA’s successful confiscation order against the fraudster behind the collapsed platform Collateral (UK) Ltd.

A transcript of this podcast, with links to the stories, will be available at www.crimes.financial.

Welcome to episode 214 of the Financial Crime Weekly Podcast. I am Chris Kirkbride. In this episode, we cover significant federal movements in the US, including the White House’s launch of a new DOJ division for national fraud enforcement and a former TD Bank employee pleading guilty to a $2 million money laundering scheme. In the UK, the SFO has repatriated £400,000 to fraud victims, the FCA has fined former Carillion directors for misleading market announcements, and an ex-Jefferies banker has denied insider dealing charges. We also consider GRECO’s warning to Belgium regarding stalled anti-corruption reforms and the arrest of 34 suspected "Black Axe" members in Spain for large-scale fraud and human trafficking. Finally, we look at the ICO’s new memorandum of understanding with the UK government, and the latest Russia-related sanctions adjustments by OFAC.

A transcript of this podcast, with links to the stories, will be available at www.crimes.financial.

Welcome to episode 213 of the Financial Crime Weekly Podcast. I’m Chris Kirkbride. In this episode, the dramatic escalation in global sanctions enforcement, including the US targeting four entities linked to Venezuela’s oil sector and a high-stakes naval engagement over a sanctioned tanker in the North Atlantic. We also analyse the UKFIU’s 2024-25 annual report, while in the US, FinCEN has officially delayed its AML compliance deadline for investment advisers to 2028. Furthermore, we examine Nigeria’s bold anti-corruption showcase at the UNCAC COSP11 conference and the UK’s newly launched £210 million Cyber Action Plan aimed at hardening public-sector defences against evolving digital threats.

A transcript of this podcast, with links to the stories, will be available at www.crimes.financial.

This Financial Crime Weekly Special Episode examines the seismic regulatory and enforcement shifts that reshaped the crypto landscape in 2025. From the EU’s “Fortress Europe” under MiCA and the UK’s aggressive Financial Promotions regime, to U.S. legislative clarity on stablecoins and digital commodities, the episode highlights how the era of regulatory liminality has ended. With case studies ranging from prosecutions tied to human trafficking and elder abuse to the technical blind spots of chain‑hopping and DeFi “mathematical mixers,” the discussion captures both the moral and operational stakes. Looking ahead, it explores how automation and AI‑driven compliance will define survival in 2026.

This Financial Crime Weekly Special Episode looks ahead to 2026, a year defined by localisation and divergence in global financial crime regulation. From the EU’s AMLA rollout and the US Corporate Transparency Act compliance cliff, to the UK’s aggressive enforcement of the new “Failure to Prevent Fraud” offence, the episode explores how jurisdictions are reshaping rules to meet domestic priorities. With insights into sanctions reform, fraud liability shifts, capital markets changes, and the operational resilience demands of DORA, the UK’s Critical Third Parties regime, and the EU AI Act, this horizon scan highlights the strategic risks and compliance imperatives that will shape the year ahead.

In this Financial Crime Weekly Review episode, we take stock of the key developments which shaped 2025 across enforcement, regulation, and corporate accountability. From landmark legislative changes and headline cases to evolving trends in cryptoassets, ESG‑related financial crime, and sanctions, the episode distills a year of complex activity into clear insights. With a focus on practical impact and strategic foresight, it offers listeners a concise yet comprehensive overview of the themes that will define compliance and risk management moving into 2026.