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DOJ Indictment of Scammers in Southeast Asia Unveils the Use of Enslaved Labor in Organized Crime Throughout the Region |
In late April 2026, the United States (U.S.) Department of Justice (DOJ) unveiled charges against two Chinese nationals for their role in managing scam centers across the Thai-Burmese border region... |
Dimitris Konstantopoulos |
42 |
6 |
2026-05-01 |
Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, United States |
Cybercrime, Human Trafficking, Indictment, Organized Crime |
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Poland Rules to Extradite Russian Archaeologist to Ukraine |
In mid-March, a court in Poland ruled to extradite Alexander Butyagin, a Russian antiquities scholar, to Ukraine. Butyagin, who works at the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia, is wanted in... |
Katherine Scher |
42 |
5 |
2026-04-24 |
Poland, Russia, Ukraine |
Art and Cultural Property, Extradition |
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Former Brazilian Intelligence Chief at Risk of Extradition |
On April 16, 2026, Alexandre Ramagem was released from the United States (U.S.) Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody after a two-day detention. The former lawmaker and... |
Gavin Neff and Bruce Zagaris |
42 |
5 |
2026-04-24 |
Brazil, United States |
Deportation, Extradition, Treaties |
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French Industry Tycoon to Stand Trial Following Investigation into Container Ports in Guinea and Togo |
The Paris Criminal Court has ordered French industrialist tycoon and billionaire Vincent Bolloré to stand trial on corruption and embezzlement charges relating to strategic container ports... |
Chloe Fontenelle |
42 |
5 |
2026-04-24 |
France, Guinea, Togo |
Corruption, Embezzlement, Trial |
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ICC and Nigeria Concluded a Memorandum of Understanding |
On March 26, 2026, the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the Federal Republic of Nigeria concluded a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), deferring to... |
Michael Plachta |
42 |
5 |
2026-04-24 |
Nigeria |
Crimes, International Criminal Court |
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U.S. Denies French Request for Assistance in the X Investigation |
On April 18, 2026, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that the United States (U.S.) Department of Justice (DOJ) had refused the requests by French law enforcement authorities for assistance in... |
Bruce Zagaris |
42 |
5 |
2026-04-24 |
France, United States |
Evidence Gathering, Investigation |
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UN Committee on Enforced Disappearances Refers Mexico to the UN General Assembly |
In its decision made on March 19, 2026, published on April 2, under Article 34 of the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance (ICPPED), the... |
Michael Plachta |
42 |
5 |
2026-04-17 |
Mexico |
Human Rights, United Nations |
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U.S. Court in Nevada Approves Extradition to Ghana of Ghanaian CEO for Financial Crimes |
On April 13, 2025, the United States District Court in Nevada ordered the extradition of former Chief Executive Officer of Microfinance and Small Loans Center (MASLOC), Sedina Christine Tamakloe-... |
Bruce Zagaris |
42 |
5 |
2026-04-17 |
Ghana, United States |
Extradition |
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The Political and Legal Fallout of the $Libra Scandal in Argentina: How Prior Legal Reforms Encouraged the Investigation of a Sitting President |
Argentine investigators named Javier Milei, the country’s President, as a person of interest in their investigation into the $Libra scandal. Last year, Milei posted a blurb on the social... |
Dimitris Konstantopoulos |
42 |
5 |
2026-04-17 |
Argentina |
Corruption, Investigation, Political Leaders |
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Vietnamese National Pleads Guilty in Malaysia to Possessing Protected Wildlife Parts |
On April 11, 2026, Hoang Van Thai, 39, a Vietnamese man, pleaded guilty to two charges of possessing protected wildlife parts without a license. Hoang Van Thai was convicted of possessing 1,022... |
Bruce Zagaris |
42 |
5 |
2026-04-17 |
Malaysia, Vietnam |
Environment, Wildlife Smuggle |
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Indonesia Deports Alleged Mafia Boss Wanted by Spain |
On April 7, 2026, Indonesia deported one of Scotland’s highest-profile alleged mafia figures to Amsterdam, ten days after his arrest in Bali. Officers from Spain’s Guardia Civil... |
Bruce Zagaris |
42 |
5 |
2026-04-17 |
Indonesia, Spain |
Deportation, Extradition, INTERPOL, Organized Crime |
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Former Australian Soldier Charged with War Crimes |
On April 7, 2026, Australian authorities charged a former elite soldier, Ben Roberts-Smith, on Tuesday with five counts of war crimes—specifically murder—related to the deaths of Afghan... |
Austin Wahl |
42 |
5 |
2026-04-17 |
Afghanistan, Australia |
Charged with Crimes, War Crimes |
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FinCEN Proposes Special Measures against MBaer Merchant Bank in Switzerland |
On March 2, 2026, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) of the United States (U.S.) Department of the Treasury proposed special measures concerning MBaer Merchant Bank AG, a financial... |
Bruce Zagaris |
42 |
5 |
2026-04-17 |
Switzerland, United States |
Financial Enforcement, Money Laundering, Sanctions |
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The Appeal of Ousman Sonko: Universal Jurisdiction, Crimes Against Humanity, and the Long Reach of International Justice |
On March 30, 2026, Ousman Sonko—a former Interior Minister of The Gambia—appeared before the Higher Appeals Chamber of the Swiss Federal Criminal Court in Bellinzona to challenge his... |
Aniska Manojkumar |
42 |
5 |
2026-04-17 |
Gambia, Switzerland |
Crimes against Humanity, International Law, Jurisdiction |
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Cambodia Extradites Former Leader of Cambodian Financial Conglomerate to China and Passes Legislation to Stop Online Scams |
On April 1, 2026, Cambodia extradited Li Xiong, a former leader at a Cambodian financial conglomerate accused of money laundering and being a core member of Chinese-Cambodian businessman Chen Zhiu... |
Bruce Zagaris |
42 |
5 |
2026-04-10 |
Cambodia, China |
Cybercrime, Extradition |
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FinCEN Proposes Rules for Whistleblowers under the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2020 |
On March 30, 2026, the United States (U.S.) Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) sent to the Federal Register a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM... |
Bruce Zagaris |
42 |
5 |
2026-04-10 |
United States |
Money Laundering, Whistle-blowing |
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U.S. Justice Department Reaches Resolution on Corruption Case with French Company |
On March 19, 2026, the United States (U.S.) Department of Justice (DOJ) announced a resolution of a transnational corruption investigation into Balt SAS (Balt), a medical device company... |
Bruce Zagaris |
42 |
4 |
2026-04-03 |
France, United States |
Bribery, Corruption |
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Syrian Prison Boss Convicted of Torture and Immigration Fraud |
On March 16, 2026, a federal jury convicted former Syrian prison official Samir Ousman Alsheikh, 73, of one count of conspiracy to commit torture and three counts of torture for his role in the... |
Austin Wahl |
42 |
4 |
2026-04-03 |
Syria, United States |
Court Conviction, Immigration, Torture |
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A 93-Year-Old Former Belgian Diplomat Faces Trial for Crimes Committed in the Congo and the Effectiveness of International Law Enforcement for Colonial Era Crimes |
In March 2026, a Brussels court ordered a former Belgian diplomat, Étienne Davignon, to face trial for war crimes for his role in the 1961 assassination of Patrice Lumumba, an anticolonial... |
Dimitris Konstantopoulos |
42 |
4 |
2026-04-03 |
Belgium, Congo |
Assassination, Human Rights, War Crimes |
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European Union Adopts New Instrument to Combat and Prevent Corruption |
On March 26, 2026, the European Parliament (EP) adopted a legislative resolution, which approves a new directive establishing a harmonized criminal law framework to prevent and combat corruption... |
Michael Plachta |
42 |
4 |
2026-04-03 |
European Union |
Corruption, European Union |
