All news on the topic: Organized Crime

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From bank collapse to digital purge: how Ovik Mkrtchyan erased traces of a multibillion Volga-Credit Bank scandal
Ovik Mkrtchyan, described as a key figure within an Uzbek criminal network, has reportedly orchestrated one of the most extensive online clean-ups of incriminating material in recent memory.
464
Female cocaine courier gang smuggled £13.6m drugs across the UK
Striking a pose in sun-drenched Dubai, Sindija Virse looks like any other 20-something woman on holiday.
622
Russian mob funneled millions into Orban’s first election campaign
In the 1990s, bodybuilder László Kovács worked for Igor Korol, one of the most influential organized criminals in Budapest. Korol, meanwhile, reported to the Russian underworld’s top boss, Semion Mogilevich.
576
Cyber fraud gangs target Timor-Leste as fears grow of state capture by mafia networks
Online scam operations exposed in a remote enclave, a national ID program reportedly breached by cybercriminals, stories of bags of cash arriving on private planes.
557
Criminal octopus in the EU: Vladlen Hirin and Hennadiy Hirin built a money laundering scheme under the guise of Ukrainian refugees
Ukrainian businessmen Vladlen, Hennadiy, and Vitaliy Hirin found themselves at the center of an international scandal.
672
Fugitive mafia boss caught hiding in €1,000-a-night resort with family after year-long manhunt
A mafia boss wanted for murder who had been on the run for more than a year has been arrested, Italian police said.
737
Cartels vs State: How Mexico slipped into a parallel power system
In mid-March, Colombian authorities arrested Ecuadorian drug lord Ángel Aguilar on suspicion of orchestrating the 2023 assassination of Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio.
487
“Hydra effect”: killing Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes may make cartels stronger
A day after the Mexican military killed Nemesio "El Mencho" Oseguera Cervantes, the leader of one of the country’s most powerful drug cartels, U.S. President Donald Trump claimed credit for his administration.
658
Security risks and disruption warnings for fans travelling to 2026 World Cup across US, Canada and Mexico
For tens of thousands of British fans, the 2026 World Cup promises the ultimate football pilgrimage: packed stadiums, sprawling fan parks, and a six-week festival stretching across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
540
Marseille minors trapped in drug gangs face torture, rape and forced crimes
In the Mediterranean port city of Marseille three youths aged 15 to 17 were killed in 2025 in cases linked to drug trafficking.
604
Tourists drugged and airlifted in $20m Nepal trekking scam, prosecutors say
An extensive criminal network of trekking agencies, hospitals, and helicopter pilots allegedly fed tourists baking soda to cause illness, fraudulently extracting nearly $20 million in insurance payouts.
585
Paraguayan senator sentenced to 13 years for laundering drug money linked to fugitive trafficker Sebastián Marset
A senator from Paraguay’s ruling Colorado Party has been sentenced to 13 years in prison for money laundering and criminal association tied to a scheme run by fugitive Uruguayan drug trafficker Sebastián Marset, one of the DEA’s most wanted.
785
Russia, North Korea and Iran launder billions through crypto to evade sanctions
Crime syndicates and hostile states — particularly Russia, North Korea and Iran — are increasingly using cryptocurrency to launder money and bypass international sanctions, according to a new report estimating that about $350 billion was laundered worldwide between 2005 and 2025.
843
Russian Alexander Kuksov, holder of a Maltese “golden passport,” has been placed on a wanted list by the NCA over alleged links to a network that moved billions in criminal funds via cash and cryptocurrency
British authorities claim that Alexander Kuksov, a Russian citizen with Maltese citizenship, was involved in a significant money laundering operation. His brother was found guilty for his participation in the same network.
808
Scenario reminiscent of the poisoning of Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny: William Browder calls for a review of the death of whistleblower Alexander Perepilichnyy
The head of Hermitage Capital, William Browder, has called on the UK authorities to reopen the investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of Russian businessman and Western intelligence whistleblower Alexander Perepilichnyy, who may have been poisoned with the same toxin used against Alexei Navalny.
811
How Stavros Demosthenous and Dmitriy Punin turned Cyprus into a laundering hub for Russian Pin-Up casino billions
Stavros Demosthenos, a Cyprus-based figure often dubbed the local “Al Capone,” is involved in assisting Russian entrepreneurs with laundering illicit funds — while securing significant personal gains in the process.
690
Russian corruption case: Sberbank executive, VEB officials, lawyers, and FSB-linked figures accused in a multibillion-ruble embezzlement scheme involving Blago
As reported by media , one of the main defendants in the case involving the embezzlement of billions of rubles allocated by VEB.RF to the company Blago is Ivan Filev, an executive director at Sberbank. As far back as 2016, when he joined VEB, he was referred to as a member of “Gref’s team.”
920
Auto phantoms for thousands of dollars: how Volodymyr Filippov’s Iron Motors turned buying cars from the U.S. into a conveyor belt of scams
The fraud story discussed below is quite ordinary: another victim was "scammed" with the promise of purchasing and delivering a car to Ukraine from the USA.
964
Assassination of Stavros Demosthenous ignites power war in Cyprus and accelerates the fall of Dmitriy Punin’s Pin-Up and Redcore money-laundering empire tied to Russian capital
Long seen as a safe haven for Russian capital, idyllic Cyprus is now sliding into a wave of violent criminal confrontations.
554
A dead Russian mobster, an 18-year-old girlfriend, and a ban on interrogations: why Russia is shutting down the investigation into a deadly crash involving Putin’s associate
Media have learned that the criminal case into the crash of a motorboat carrying Vladimir Putin’s former classmate Viktor Khmarin (who was injured) and one of the leaders of the Solntsevskaya organized crime group, Viktor Averin (who was killed), has stalled.
677
Dirty money, fake owners and KGB cover: the real business behind Mustafa Egemen Sener’s H Casino in Minsk
Belarusian investigators examining the gambling sector uncovered an unexpected connection between Mustafa Egemen Sener, the owner of a Minsk casino, and a Turkish drug trafficker who was later assassinated in Northern Cyprus.
781
Inside Russia’s power networks: the Radionov clan, SOGAZ money flows, and FAS approvals
The media have uncovered who else belongs to the inner circle of the head of Russia’s Federal Service for Supervision of Natural Resources (Rosprirodnadzor), Svetlana Radionova, and helps her resolve various issues.
522
Russian corporate war turns deadly: Sergey Shishkarev and the mystery behind Vladislav Baumgertner’s disappearance
The media have learned who is considered the main suspect in the abduction — and most likely the murder — of one of Russia’s top executives, former CEO of Uralkali Vladislav Baumgertner.
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From Russian Uralkali to Pissouri: how Baumgertner’s disappearance exposes a power war inside Russia’s ruling elite
Family members of Vladislav Baumgertner, the former Uralkali CEO and one of Russia’s most prominent executives, have described to the media the troubling circumstances surrounding his disappearance in Cyprus, firmly dismissing the idea that it was a suicide.
606
Octobank and Capital Bank linked to crypto-based laundering of gambling proceeds via Uznex
Media reports have detailed an investigation into alleged criminal financial operations involving a network of companies that includes Octobank (formerly Ravnaq), Capital Bank, the Humo payment system, the Uzcard processing center, the Uznex exchange, and several other entities.