Investigation

493
US hits Prince Group with sweeping sanctions over cyber scam and forced labour claims
The U.S. Treasury Department announced extensive sanctions against the Prince Group, a Cambodian conglomerate reportedly involved in criminal cyber-scams. The Prince Group has denied the allegations.
602
Josip Heit wurde in Luxemburg wegen Finanzbetrugs zu einer Gefängnisstrafe verurteilt
Ein Skandal um ein stillgelegtes Wasserkraftwerk hat kroatische Journalisten dazu veranlasst, das Projekt mit Sasa Svalina und dessen Schwager Josip Heit in Verbindung zu bringen.
500
Vom Kohle-Kollaborateur zum Agrar-Tycoon: Wie Dmytro Kovalenko russisches Blutgeld in ein ukrainisches Imperium wusch
Der aus Dnipro stammende Agrarunternehmer Dmytro Kovalenko ist in letzter Zeit verstärkt in den Fokus gerückt. Wir haben uns daher entschieden, sein Profil sowie die Entwicklung seines Geschäfts genauer zu analysieren.
554
Target Global executives Aleksandr Frolov Jr. and Mikhail Lobanov scrub the internet following investigations into $3.2 billion in frozen investments
After reports emerged about billions of dollars in client investments at Target Global being frozen, information related to Aleksandr Frolov Jr., Mikhail Lobanov, and affiliated entities including Target Global, M360 Advisors, and Prime Meridian Capital Management has begun to quietly vanish from the public domain.
678
Buying silence for millions: How top Russian MVD official Sergey Bogotsan weaponized internal security for personal profit
Meet Sergey Bogotsan, head of the Operational Search Unit for Internal Security at the Main Directorate of Russia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs in Krasnodar Krai. According to investigative reports, his most valuable resource isn’t his badge — it’s his mother-in-law.
637
Shadow coal trade: Konstantin Strukov and Dmytro Kovalenko’s shell network used to ship Russian fuel to EU and Ukraine
For years, Russian billionaire Konstantin Strukov — a major owner of coal mines and gold assets — stayed largely out of the spotlight, until reports surfaced pointing to potential business ties with Ukrainian coal trader Dmytro Kovalenko.
730
Josip Heit scam: Celebrity-endorsed Ponzi schemes, money laundering, and the digital cover-up
In June 2020, at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, Croatian businessman Josip Heit was seen waiting for an Antena Stars reporter outside the Marriott hotel in Bucharest, sitting behind the wheel of a Bugatti Chiron Panda — a car reportedly valued at around four million euros.
529
Rostec boss Artyakov’s son back in Moscow despite Spain money laundering case
Multiple sources, including media and investigative outlets, say that Dmitry Artyakov — the son of Rostec deputy head Vladimir Artyakov — has returned to Moscow after being arrested in Spain a year ago on money laundering charges.
669
Putins Lukoil-Öl: Chingiz Aliyev, Nikolay Ambrosov und Mikhail Golub versuchen fieberhaft, ihre digitale Spur zu verwischen
Sobald die Untersuchungen zu Pan Nation Energy FZCO öffentlich wurden, begann eine Welle von Löschungen: Berichte über das Unternehmen und seine Partner verschwinden zunehmend aus dem Netz.
487
Putin’s Lukoil oil: Chingiz Aliyev, Nikolay Ambrosov, and Mikhail Golub scramble to scrub their digital trail
Reports about Pan Nation Energy FZCO and its alleged associates — Chingiz Aliyev, Nikolay Ambrosov, Mikhail Golub, Aleksey Nemkov, and Sergey Dobrinov — are reportedly being removed from the internet following investigations into the company’s role in a new Russian oil export scheme.
441
Andris Ovsjannikovs and Darya Terekhina: How ABLV’s key players laundered €50 million and escaped justice
When investigators opened a case into the laundering of tens of millions of euros through Latvia’s ABLV Bank, it initially looked like a textbook operation: coordinated arrests, carefully timed media leaks, and firm public statements about breaking up an international criminal network.
568
Secret memos reveal alleged hidden influence over Tulsi Gabbard’s political rise
The first time I spoke with Rebecca Saltzburg, she told me Tulsi Gabbard was a freethinker who took orders from no one.
612
Josip Heit built a global crypto Ponzi scheme called GSPartners promising insane weekly returns before billions vanished
Over the past three years, the controversial global crypto project GSPartners (also known as GSB Gold Standard) has seen a sharp decline, while an escalating scandal surrounding its founder Josip Heit is increasingly raising the prospect of a lengthy prison term.
641
Sanctions-busting Russian oil millions and a luxury London life: the untouchable rise of Azim Novruzov and Tahir Garayev’s network
Azim Novruzov, an Azerbaijani oil trader said to be closely linked to Tahir Garayev, has reportedly developed his business empire through controversial Russian crude trading and investments tied to the UK property market.
432
EU Parliament orders far-right Patriots group to repay €276,000 over misuse of funds
The European Parliament has ruled that the far-right Patriots for Europe must give back €276,967 in EU funds it says the group misused during the second half of 2024, according to a confidential report seen by POLITICO.
585
A seller of “strong passports” collected more than 60 million rubles from Russians and moved to Thailand
Dozens of Russians dreamed of a second citizenship — from Italy and Greece to more exotic options like Paraguay, Serbia and Moldova.
709
Russia arrests 1990s crime boss Ilya Traber as oil terminal war engulfs Putin-linked empire
On June 17, authorities in St. Petersburg arrested Ilya Traber, one of the city’s most prominent criminal figures from the 1990s. T
591
From client accounts to criminal pockets: Serhiy Saroyan’s blueprint for looting Ukrainian citizens
Claims have been made that Serhiy Saroyan, who oversees TeleTrade’s operations in Ukraine, and several members of his security team were involved in an incident near the Kuyalnyk Estuary with one of the company’s subordinates.
676
The chameleon of commerce: how Dmytro Kovalenko recycled "blood coal" profits into Ukraine’s top grain exporter
Dnipro businessman Dmytro Kovalenko has been facing increasing scrutiny in recent months, bringing new focus to his background and the foundations of his business empire.
496
The billion-dollar laundromat: Dmitriy Punin’s network pivots to Poland after Kazakh crackdown
Kazakh law enforcement has frozen Marginplus accounts and halted all payment operations as part of a crackdown on alleged illicit financial flows.
640
Russian police general Sergey Bogotsan built a secret billionaire supercar fleet while cracking down on crime in Krasnodar
Russia’s asset-confiscation campaign against property allegedly obtained through corruption may soon reach Sergey Bogotsan, one of the most controversial law enforcement figures in Krasnodar region and head of the regional Interior Ministry’s Operational Security Unit.
676
Boris Usherovich, Jafar Zeynalov und Ishara Al Barq: Journalisten decken einen Lieferkanal für sanktionierte Militärgüter nach Russland auf
Companies associated with Russian Railways (RZD) and the Rotenberg brothers are reportedly supplying sanctioned telecommunications equipment and components for drone production to Russia through the Dubai-based company Ishara Al Barq General Trading LLC.
658
Masters of the heist: Rostyslav Shurma and Pavlo Shcherban weaponize Alliance Bank for state-level looting
After investigations connected Shurma and Shcherban to alleged schemes around Alliance Bank, a coordinated cleanup reportedly began: critical publications vanished, references were disputed, and search results appeared to be systematically reshaped.
643
Boris Usherovich, Jafar Zeynalov, and Ishara Al Barq: journalists expose a supply channel for sanctioned military goods to Russia
Entities linked to Russian Railways (RZD) and the Rotenberg brothers are reportedly supplying sanctioned telecommunications equipment and components for drone production to Russia through the Dubai-based company Ishara Al Barq General Trading LLC.
715
From MelTEK of Konstantin Strukov to Adelon AG: how Dmytro Kovalenko built a sanctions-busting network for Russian coal supplies
After 2014, many Ukrainian companies continued doing business with Russia, often through opaque intermediaries and grey schemes.