organized crime

Italy

2026-10-21 16:38:03

Italian police arrest 30 in alleged mafia-linked crypto laundering network tied to $76 million flow

Italian authorities have dismantled an alleged crypto laundering network with reported links to organized crime, accusing the group of moving €68 million, or about $76 million, out of the country through a Milan car rental business. According to Il Sole 24 Ore, the operation was carried out by the Guardia di Finanza and Monza Brianza investigators and led to 30 arrests across a probe spanning Italy, Spain, and Switzerland. Investigators say the scheme pooled money from drug trafficking, crypto scams, fraudulent invoices, and bank accounts, routed it through European banks, and then used crypto exchanges to convert and transfer the funds to wallets controlled by suspects. Authorities also allege that shell companies issued €110 million in false invoices for work that never took place. The case reportedly involves suspects tied to the Ndrangheta, Camorra, and members of the so-called Fourth Mafia. Police are also seeking seizures totaling €21 million, while two additional arrests include a driver for the Milan magistrates office and a Milan-based lawyer.

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UAE

2026-09-18 09:57:33

UAE and Sweden Arrest Seven in $7.1 Million Crypto Laundering Case Tied to Contract Killings

Police in the United Arab Emirates and Sweden arrested seven suspects in a cross-border money laundering case that authorities say moved roughly 70 million Swedish krona, or about $7.1 million, over a 10-month period. According to the UAE Ministry of Interior, the network handled cash proceeds from criminal activity and used cryptocurrencies to move the value of those funds to other criminal entities. The alleged leader, a Swedish national wanted under an Interpol Red Notice after fleeing Sweden, was located and detained in the UAE, while six other suspected members were arrested at the same time in Sweden. Authorities said tracing crypto transactions and analyzing digital evidence exposed financial links to other crimes, including organized crime and contract killings. Officials in both countries described intelligence sharing and direct security coordination as central to the operation, which followed extensive searches, investigations, and close monitoring.

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Bitcoin

2026-09-08 05:58:56

Bitcoin RICO Case Takes Aim at U.S. Department of Justice Over Crypto Crime Legal Framework

A Bitcoin-related RICO lawsuit has directly challenged the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), filed after the agency weakened its ability to build such cases. The case, brought under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, involves organized crime allegations within the cryptocurrency space. It may expose disputes over the DOJ's legal framework and enforcement capacity in handling crypto crimes, according to Cointelegraph.

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crypto scams

2026-09-04 04:48:12

US and UK launch first joint task force to target crypto scam centers

The United States and the United Kingdom have announced their first joint law-enforcement alliance aimed at scam centers tied to crypto and online investment fraud. The U.S. Department of Justice said the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, the Crown Prosecution Service, and the UK’s National Crime Agency have signed a memorandum of understanding to run parallel investigations, share intelligence on organized crime groups, and coordinate venue decisions on individual cases. The alliance expands a U.S. task force launched by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro in November 2025. That task force focuses on Chinese organized crime networks operating mainly in Southeast Asia and linked to crypto investment scams, human trafficking, and money laundering. The DOJ said losses reported to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center rose from $4.57 billion in 2023 to $8.65 billion in 2025. The announcement also follows earlier cross-border operations, including a April 29 raid led by Dubai Police with the FBI and China’s Ministry of Public Security that led to 276 arrests and the shutdown of at least nine crypto scam centers. Myanmar’s military government also released a draft on May 15 proposing prison terms of 10 years to life for digital-currency fraud, with the death penalty possible if a victim dies while being forced to work in a scam center; the bill passed parliament on July 28.

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Ireland

2026-08-28 11:56:03

Irish Police Freeze $900K in Crypto Accounts in Galway Organized Crime Operation

Ireland's national police force, An Garda Síochána, said it froze two cryptocurrency accounts worth approximately $900,000 combined during a targeted operation against organized crime in Galway. Officers searched two properties, also freezing a bank account that held €25,000, about $29,100, and seizing €9,300 in cash. Police additionally recovered drugs with an estimated total value of €18,300, including amphetamines and cannabis. A man in his 40s was arrested and has been charged. The investigation is ongoing. According to the police notice, as reported by ChainCatcher, the actions were part of a special operation in the Galway area. The combined asset measures cover both crypto accounts and traditional bank accounts, along with cash and drug seizures. Police have not released the identity of the arrested man or further details about the charges. The total value of the frozen cryptocurrency accounts alone reached roughly $900,000, while the frozen bank account added another $29,100 in equivalent value. No additional information has been disclosed.

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North Korea

2026-08-11 12:02:42

RUSI says North Korea is using criminal laundering networks to cash out stolen crypto

A new paper from the Royal United Services Institute says North Korea is increasingly routing stolen cryptocurrency through the same laundering channels used by scam syndicates and organized crime, making it harder for investigators and compliance teams to distinguish proliferation-linked funds from routine criminal proceeds. The researchers estimate the regime stole at least $2.8 billion in virtual assets between January 2024 and September 2025, and they focus on the moment those assets are turned into cash rather than their already well-documented movement through decentralized services. The paper points to handoffs to third parties, use of mule accounts in the Philippines, Indonesia, and China, and repeated sales of small stablecoin amounts on peer-to-peer markets to stay below bank review thresholds. It also cites findings tied to the February 2025 Bybit hack, where incident responders said North Korea’s TraderTraitor group relied on launderers, OTC desks, and P2P traders, often Chinese nationals, to move funds and return cash. The paper also references U.S. action against infrastructure linked to Cambodia’s Huione Group and notes that Bybit has recovered or frozen only about 5% of the assets taken.

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crypto kidnap

2026-07-23 16:35:23

France Records 77 Crypto Kidnappings in 2026 as Authorities Expand Crackdown on Organized Crime

France has reported 77 crypto-related kidnappings in 2026. Around 200 suspects have been arrested. Authorities uncover remote-controlled crime networks and strengthen intelligence sharing and international cooperation.

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Brazil

2026-07-23 07:50:15

Brazil Signs Law Allowing Seizure and Early Liquidation of Bitcoin Linked to Crime

President Lula signed Law 15.358, empowering authorities to freeze, seize, and liquidate crypto assets tied to serious crimes, with proceeds redirected to public security funding.

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