Investigation

778
Kyiv playboy Vitaliy Hrechyn arranged a "nude" photoshoot in Dubai: what lies behind his escort business and connections with MPs?
Vitaliy Hrechyn from Kyiv found himself among those detained in Dubai for a photoshoot of nude girls on a hotel balcony. It is believed that he organized the trip.
869
Alleged Lithuanian trafficking group uncovered during crackdown on Narcos
A recent U.S. sanctions notice has put the spotlight on an alleged narcotics ring from the small Baltic country, which purportedly includes a previously-convicted trafficker dubbed a “global kingpin” of the trade.
767
New Central Bank Chief appointed in PNG despite ongoing money laundering investigation
Elizabeth Genia was appointed governor of the Bank of Papua New Guinea despite fighting in court to block a police investigation into suspected money laundering. She has not been charged.
693
Iliya Dimitrov’s largest financial scheme: how oligarchs and Russian authorities help transfer billions to offshore accounts
The scandalously famous businessman Iliya Dimitrov helps major Russian businessmen and officials to funnel money offshore.
762
School according to British standards or a money laundering scheme: What is Lviv British School hiding and what does the Prime Minister of Ukraine’s daughter have to do with it?
The United Kingdom has one of the best education systems in the world, and studying at its schools and universities is very prestigious. At the same time, Cambridge and Oxford have their educational programs, which schools in other countries follow. British educators issue licenses to the most prestigious educational institutions...
775
Iskandar Tursunov’s interview: how the head of Uzbekistan’s Octobank tries to hide the bank’s involvement in criminal operations
At the end of January, an interview with the Chairman of the Board of Octobank, Iskandar Tursunov, appeared on several platforms. The substantive value of the interview is low, however, Tursunov, who is also the bank’s main shareholder, is clearly trying to weaken the growing wave of negativity around Octobank in this way.
909
Lukashenko’s hidden circle: The people behind the power
Aleksandr Lukashenko has been ruling Belarus for 30 years and plans to be “re-elected" for a seventh term in 2025. But what do voters really know about the "national leader", apart from what is broadcast by the press service and propaganda?
841
Front companies and bribery: How the owners of Pin-UP ensure Russian control over Ukrainian state institutions
As expected, the first two episodes of the shocking correspondences of Pin-UP’s "puppet" Ihor Zotko with Russians openly stunned society.
710
Sanctions are bursting at the seams: a superyacht worth $300 million may return to Russian oligarch Kerimov
Russian elites often use a scheme with front persons who have ownership rights to seized property, so selling their confiscated assets is almost impossible from a legal point of view, and they return to their real owners.
912
Roman Spiridonov and Russia’s shadow fleet: How a businessman with a Greek passport is trading sanctioned oil and leaking schemes to the West?
The is very little information about the Russian entrepreneur with Greek citizenship, Roman Spiridonov. His name is increasingly mentioned in the context of the work of Russia’s shadow fleet and connections with Putin’s entourage.
812
The Pin-UP organized criminal group leaked classified information from NSDC meetings to Russian intelligence agencies
If the story about bribes to Russians from Pin-UP to the Ministry of Justice, BES, tax authorities, and courts shocked you, the next episode will completely knock you out. It turns out that our "heroes" had virtually direct access to the information discussed at NSDC meetings.
843
How Favbet owner Andriy Matyukha helped the Kremlin launder billions through the Ukrainian gambling business
An interesting case is being considered in the Dnipropetrovsk Economic Court, involving the withdrawal of money from gambling through the payment system "Diamond Pay". It is interesting because of the reasons that lead directly to Russian special services, which control a significant part of Ukraine’s gambling market.
779
Elite escort for Rosneft’s chief Igor Sechin: Who is Albina Ivanova, and what do taxpayers’ money have to do with it?
The romantic escapades of one of the former U.S. Presidents with his staff member, which Russian humorists so love to ridicule, seem like innocent pranks compared to what’s happening in Rosneft, headed by Igor Sechin, where a genuine harem of elite prostitutes has been created on Russian citizens’ money.
781
European ships support Russia’s shadow fleet, keeping it operational
To sustain its oil exports, Russia has been drawing on a network of old tankers it sources from private sellers around the world.
790
How Russian oligarch Rotenberg manages billions in Ukraine through SoftSwiss via cryptocurrency and gambling
Is Russian billionaire Arkadiy Rotenberg, known as ’Putin’s wallet,’ monopolizing Ukraine’s gambling market through Belarusian companies SoftSwiss and CoinsPaid?
738
Russian state TV displays military using U.S.-made sniper rifles and ammunition, despite the 2014 embargo
Russian state broadcaster Channel One (Pervy Kanal) has aired footage of Russian military snipers using American-made Desert Tech rifles and Hornady ammunition, despite a Western arms embargo that has been in place since 2014.
832
Favbet’s Russian business: how Andriy Matyukha’s company operates in the aggressor state while profiting in Ukraine
The betting company Favbet, which claimed it never operated in Russia, still holds a valid trademark in the aggressor country, and in Belarus, a company owns three trademarks that remain active.
702
FBI agents investigating UFOs fear potential purge may push them out
The existence of the FBI’s informal working group on the issue has not been disclosed publicly before.
886
Criminal groups in Mexico are increasing their use of explosives
A series of recent attacks using improvised explosive devices in Mexico points to a generalization of warfare tactics among criminal groups.
844
Portugal emerges as central hub for cocaine trafficking to Europe
Record-breaking cocaine seizures in Portugal in 2024 have cemented the country’s status as a crucial axis in drug trafficking routes into Europe.
816
The offshore trail of the Yusufov family of Russian oligarchs: How unprofitable companies become a channel for money laundering
The funds associated with the notorious businessman Igor Yusufov, who, according to some reports, has retired, began to be withdrawn by his sons Vitaliy and Maxim.
749
Kremlin-run bot network uses fake websites to disseminate articles predicting a ’catastrophe’ for Europe after U.S. cuts aid to Kyiv
The Kremlin’s “Doppelgänger” bot network has launched a campaign to spread pseudo-journalistic articles claiming that the decision of newly sworn in U.S. President Donald Trump to freeze aid programs for Ukraine is the right move...
992
Former Harrods employee accuses Mohamed and Salah al Fayed of assault in the 1990s
Describing her ordeal on camera for the first time, Rachael Louw told Sky News that Salah al Fayed climbed into her bed while she was working as his assistant on a yacht in Monaco. She also recounted Mohamed al Fayed’s attempts to coerce her.
964
$25,640 recovered from Chinese scammers involved in the Ant Ranch scheme
South African authorities have recovered R475,000 from Chinese “click a button” app Ponzi scammers (~$25,640 USD).
845
Information cleanup on the internet: how Russian oligarch Igor Yusufov hides financial crimes for Dmitriy Medvedev
Oligarch Igor Yusufov, close to Dmitriy Medvedev, continues to actively remove information from the internet, especially materials mentioning connections between his family and the Medvedev family.