Authorities estimate that between 2019 and 2024 the scheme caused losses of at least 2.7 million euros to public funds — a figure that does not yet account for fraudulent claims submitted in 2025. Those arrested face charges including formation of a criminal organisation, subsidy fraud, false declaration and money laundering.

According to investigators, the network was established in 2019 and operated with clearly defined roles among its members. At its core were two accountants who exploited their knowledge of the subsidy application process administered by OPEKEPE, the Greek agency overseeing EU farming aid disbursements. They recruited managers of Declaration Reception Centres who identified parcels of land whose real owners had not registered them with authorities. Fictitious lease agreements were then constructed around these plots, allowing members to appear as legitimate tenants or lessors and claim EU agricultural subsidies on land they did not genuinely farm.

The arrested individuals are expected to appear before the European Public Prosecutor’s Office in Athens, reflecting the cross-border dimension of the fraud given its impact on EU funds.

In a parallel but separate case, a court in Serres, northern Greece, on the same day convicted 13 of 25 defendants for similar subsidy fraud totalling 250,000 euros, with sentences ranging from five to 26 months, suspended for three years.

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The controversy emerged after the National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP) submitted its own draft on 2 April 2026. Following weeks of inaction, the government registered a competing version on 15 May — just two days after MP Anastasiia Radina, who chairs the parliamentary anti-corruption committee, independently filed the NACP draft. Radina publicly accused the Svyrydenko cabinet of ignoring obligations outlined in the Kachka-Kos communiqué, a ten-point reform plan Ukraine committed to fulfilling by end of 2026.

Among the most significant deletions in the government’s version are provisions strengthening the independence of the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) and the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU). Specifically, the government removed a clause that would allow NABU and SAPO to initiate criminal proceedings against Members of Parliament without prior approval from the Prosecutor General — a requirement explicitly listed in EU accession benchmarks. All references to reforming the politically sensitive procedure for appointing the Prosecutor General have also been excised entirely.

Additionally, the government stripped out provisions calling for transparent, merit-based competitive selection for the heads of the State Bureau of Investigation and the National Police, despite the EU benchmarks expressly requiring SBI reform with involvement of internationally nominated experts. Analysts note that the omissions appear deliberate rather than technical, potentially shielding key law enforcement appointments from independent oversight. Whether parliament will restore the deleted provisions — and keep Ukraine on its EU integration path — remains an open question.

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Saab, the 55-year-old former Venezuelan industry minister, was deported to the United States by Venezuelan interim President Delcy Rodríguez, who described the move as “justified by national interests”. His transfer signalled increased cooperation between Rodríguez’s administration and U.S. authorities under President Donald Trump. Saab later appeared in federal court in Miami.

According to prosecutors, the scheme began in 2015 and involved shell companies, falsified invoices, and manipulated shipping records used to divert hundreds of millions of dollars intended for food imports for Venezuelans. U.S. authorities also allege Saab bribed officials and routed illicit proceeds through American bank accounts.

From 2019 onward, prosecutors say Saab expanded the operation by facilitating billions of dollars in oil sales under false pretences during Venezuela’s financial crisis and U.S. sanctions regime. The case comes as the Trump administration prepares legal proceedings against Maduro. U.S. officials believe Saab could provide information relevant to broader investigations into Venezuela’s former leadership. DEA Administrator Terrance Cole said the prosecution reflects continuing efforts to dismantle corruption networks tied to Venezuela’s government. Saab was previously detained in Cape Verde in 2020 and later granted clemency in 2023 during a prisoner exchange.

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Speaking at an investment forum in Riyadh, Trump said he would order “the cessation of sanctions against Syria” to give the country “a chance at greatness”, adding that the measures had served their purpose. The announcement came ahead of a meeting between Trump and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, the former Islamist commander who took power after Bashar al-Assad’s overthrow.

A White House official confirmed that Trump briefly met Sharaa in Saudi Arabia, marking a symbolic encounter between the U.S. president and a former Islamist leader previously linked to al Qaeda. Sharaa severed ties with Islamist networks in 2016, and the U.S. removed a $10 million bounty on him in December.

The lifting of sanctions is expected to improve Syria’s economic outlook after years of isolation from the global financial system. U.S. restrictions had limited banking access, trade, and foreign investment while complicating humanitarian operations.

The decision also highlights tensions with Israel, whose officials continue to distrust Sharaa’s government. Trump said the U.S. would restore normal relations with Syria, while Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani described the move as a turning point.

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The court also handed a five-year sentence to former deputy managing director Christian Herrault, while Lafarge itself now owned by Holcim was fined €1.125 million.

The case stems from payments made between 2013 and 2014, when Lafarge, through its Syrian subsidiary, transferred nearly €5.6 million to armed groups, including Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra. These payments were made to secure access to raw materials and ensure safe passage for company employees and transport operations.

According to the Paris court, these transactions enabled Lafarge to continue operating its cement plant in northern Syria despite escalating conflict. Presiding judge Isabelle Prévost-Desprez stated that the company effectively entered into a «commercial partnership»  with terrorist organisations, contributing to their ability to finance operations both in the region and abroad.

The ruling follows earlier proceedings in the United States, where Lafarge pleaded guilty in 2022 to providing material support to designated terrorist organisations and agreed to pay a $778 million fine, the first time a corporation faced such charges.

Lafarge had completed construction of its €680 million plant in Jalabiya in 2010, shortly before the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011 amid protests against President Bashar al-Assad. While many multinational companies withdrew from Syria in 2012, Lafarge continued operations, evacuating only foreign staff and keeping local employees on site until the facility was seized by Islamic State fighters in 2014.

Prosecutors argued that Lafont authorised the decision to keep the plant operational despite clear risks, describing the strategy as driven solely by profit. The court found that eight former employees were involved in financing terrorist organisations, issuing sentences ranging from 18 months to seven years. Among them, Syrian intermediary Firas Tlass was sentenced in absentia to seven years in prison.

French counterterrorism prosecutors emphasised that the company’s actions were aimed at preserving commercial interests, despite the known involvement of extremist groups controlling the region.

Holcim, which acquired Lafarge in 2015, has stated it had no knowledge of the activities in Syria at the time. Meanwhile, a separate legal case concerning potential complicity in crimes against humanity remains ongoing.

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Operation Atlantic, conducted last month and co-hosted by the NCA alongside the United States Secret Service, Ontario Provincial Police and the Ontario Securities Commission, focused on identifying victims affected by so-called “approval phishing” scams. These schemes involve fraudsters deceiving individuals into granting access to their cryptocurrency wallets, often under the guise of investment opportunities.

During the operation, authorities identified more than 20,000 victims across the UK, Canada and the United States. One UK-based victim alone is believed to have lost over £52,000 as a result of such fraudulent activity.

Through collaboration with private sector partners, investigators were able to trace illicit transactions and intervene in real time. This enabled authorities to freeze more than $12 million linked to suspected fraud, while also identifying over $45 million stolen globally through cryptocurrency-related scams.

The NCA hosted participating law enforcement agencies at its London headquarters, where real-time intelligence sharing, technical capabilities and coordinated victim outreach efforts contributed to the disruption of multiple fraud networks worldwide. The City of London Police, Financial Conduct Authority and other international partners also took part in the week-long operation.

Officials highlighted the critical role of private sector organisations in detecting suspicious activity and identifying victims quickly, allowing funds to be secured before they could be moved by criminals. This model of close public-private collaboration is expected to form a central element of the UK government’s recently announced Fraud Strategy, aimed at improving early detection and prevention of financial crime.

Authorities will now continue analysing intelligence gathered during Operation Atlantic to support victims and pursue further investigations into suspected criminal activity.

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In its decision dated April 1, 2026, the AMF’s sanctions committee fined the firm €300,000. Its directors at the time of the violations, Anthony Finck and Marc Peuvrier, were each fined €75,000. All sanctions are accompanied by a five-year ban on operating as financial investment advisers.

The case relates to misconduct between January 2020 and June 2023. The regulator found that Kerdiz Finance misrepresented its regulatory status, allowing itself to be presented as an authorised investment services provider despite lacking the necessary approval. The firm also incorrectly claimed to a potential intermediary that it had received authorisation from the AMF to market financial products linked to Vivat Multitalent.

The sanctions committee further determined that the firm failed to properly identify and manage conflicts of interest, particularly in relation to its commercial and capital ties with the Vivat Multitalent group. It also did not implement adequate safeguards предусмотренные its own procedures to address such conflicts.

In relation to Vivat Multitalent investment offerings, the AMF concluded that Kerdiz Finance did not comply with product governance requirements designed to protect investors. The firm failed to gather sufficient information to properly understand the products it was recommending and did not apply the controls set out in its internal procedures.

The regulator also found that the company exceeded the limits of its authorised activities and failed to act with the necessary competence and diligence in the best interests of its clients. This included recommending securities issued by several Multitalent entities without verifying whether key safeguards, such as the appointment of a management company and a custodian, were in place. These products were also prohibited from being marketed in France at the time.

Additionally, Kerdiz Finance conducted a marketing campaign for the “Guyane Agricole” investment scheme, which involved high-risk agricultural investments in French Guiana, despite the elevated risk of losses exceeding the initial capital invested.

The AMF also identified shortcomings in the firm’s anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing controls, as well as a lack of cooperation with regulatory oversight.

The sanctions committee held that most of the violations were attributable to both executives, with certain exceptions concerning findings not formally notified to Anthony Finck. The decision remains subject to appeal.

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The investigation, led by FBI agents in New Haven in coordination with the Connecticut State Police, traced the fraudulent transactions across multiple cryptocurrency wallets, according to U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut, David Sullivan.

The case began in September when the Connecticut resident received a letter instructing him to perform a mandatory security check on a cryptocurrency device. Although the message appeared to originate from the device manufacturer, it contained instructions that allowed fraudsters to compromise the device, resulting in the theft of approximately $234,000 in cryptocurrency.

Investigators followed the flow of stolen funds through several cryptocurrency accounts and ultimately recovered around $600,000 in Tether, a stablecoin frequently used in digital asset transactions. Officials confirmed that the seized cryptocurrency represented proceeds of wire fraud and was involved in money laundering.

The operation highlights ongoing risks in digital asset security and underscores the increasing capacity of federal authorities to track and seize cryptocurrency linked to criminal activity.

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Li, a Chinese national, was extradited from Phnom Penh with the assistance of Cambodian authorities. According to Chinese state media, he is suspected of fraud, concealing criminal proceeds, and running illegal operations including unauthorised casinos.

The case centres on Huione Group, which had been identified by investigators as a key player in facilitating global money laundering activities linked to online scams. Authorities allege that the company provided services enabling criminals to move illicit funds across borders while obscuring their origins.

Chinese officials have intensified crackdowns in Southeast Asia in recent years, targeting both scammers and the financial networks supporting them. These operations often involve online fraud schemes run from secured compounds, with victims and perpetrators frequently including Chinese nationals. Some individuals involved are believed to have been trafficked and forced into participation.

The investigation also connects Huione Group to Prince Group, a larger entity previously sanctioned by the United States. U.S. prosecutors have accused the group of orchestrating investment scams that defrauded victims of billions of dollars. Its chairman, Chen Zhi, was extradited to China earlier this year.

China’s Ministry of Public Security confirmed that multiple key members of Chen Zhi’s alleged criminal network have now been arrested. State television footage showed Li arriving in custody, escorted by Chinese officers following his extradition.

For years, cooperation between Chinese and Cambodian authorities resulted mainly in the arrest of lower-level operatives, while senior figures behind large-scale fraud and laundering operations remained beyond reach. The latest extraditions suggest a shift, with Cambodia increasing its cooperation under pressure from Beijing.

The United States has also taken action against the network. Authorities sanctioned Prince Group and related entities, while seizing nearly $15 billion in cryptocurrency linked to Chen Zhi’s operations — one of the largest such seizures on record. American prosecutors have filed charges against Chen, including wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Separately, Huione Group was blacklisted by U.S. authorities as a money-laundering operation, effectively cutting it off from the American financial system. Investigations estimate that Huione and its affiliates processed at least $4 billion in illicit funds, with some estimates suggesting significantly higher volumes when including activity on associated online marketplaces.

Despite maintaining legitimate services such as payment processing and financial products in Cambodia, investigators found that the group’s primary revenue was derived from illicit operations. These included tailored money-laundering services and platforms connecting criminals with financial facilitators.

In December, Cambodia’s central bank announced that Huione Group had entered liquidation after its operating licence was revoked, marking a significant step in dismantling one of the region’s most prominent financial crime networks.

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Klyuev, 58, faces charges of aggravated money laundering, accused of funneling stolen funds through offshore companies into luxury purchases across France. According to prosecutors, between 2008 and 2012, more than 2.1 million euros ($2.42 million) were spent on high-end fashion, art, jewelry, and exclusive ski resorts. Some transactions allegedly benefited other Russian officials and connected parties.

The trial is being held in absentia, as Klyuev is believed to remain in Russia. French authorities have cited the unlikelihood of extradition, noting limited cooperation from Russian authorities. If convicted, he could face up to 10 years in prison and fines of 4.5 million euros.

Investigators say the fraud involved the seizure of Hermitage Capital subsidiaries and fraudulent claims for tax refunds, which were approved by Russian officials.

The illicit funds were traced across Europe and beyond, including through Swiss bank accounts, British Virgin Islands companies, and Western financial institutions. A portion of the funds was laundered through Danske Bank’s Estonian branch, resulting in a $2 billion settlement with U.S. authorities, while other proceeds were invested in real estate in Manhattan, Cyprus, and Dubai.

Bill Browder, co-founder of Hermitage Capital, said, “The investigation revealed how complex laundering operations can move illicit funds across borders. This trial represents a long-overdue step in holding the key perpetrators accountable.”

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