trafficking
Chainalysis Exposes Southeast Asia's Human Trafficking and Scam Nexus
Chainalysis reveals the intertwining of human trafficking with crypto scams in Southeast Asia, highlighting the urgency to combat these digital age crimes.
Darknet AlphaBay Moderator Paid in Bitcoin Sentenced to 11 Years in Prison
A darknet moderator for marketplace AlphaBay has been apprehended by law officials and sentenced to 11 years in prison.
India Darknet Policing Ramps Up Following Drug Racket Arrests
Law enforcement agencies in India are teaming up with national research and academic institutions to enhance their ability to police the darknet.
New York Times Square Billboard Demands Release of Silk Road Darknet Drug Trafficker
A billboard in Times Square has been hired by the ‘Free Ross’ movement as part of a campaign to release the Ross Ulbricht, founder of the Silk Road drug trafficking marketplace on the darknet.
Child Porn Darknet Sites Surge with Crypto-Payments as Korean Police Hunt "Nth Room" Clientele
The use of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum has become the preferred payment for internet based human trafficking and depraved services, which include blackmail porn and child sexual exploitation according to forensics firm Chainalysis.
Venezuelan President Maduro Leveraged Cryptocurrency to Conceal Drug Ring Transactions According to US DOJ
Venezuelan President Maduro and 14 other high-ranking Venezuelan officials have been charged for their alleged involvement in a multibillion-dollar cocaine trafficking ring that the the DOJ claimed wreaked havoc on American communities by flooding the markets with cocaine for over 20 years. According to Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Venezuelan officials had leveraged cryptocurrency in an attempt to mask their money trail on their alleged crimes
US Congress Encouraged to Regulate Crypto Sector Under Bank Secrecy Act
A Washington DC-based strategic advisory firm, the Financial Integrity Network (FIN), pushed the United States Congress to regulate firms in the cryptocurrency sector under the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA).
Coinbase Landed Patent for a New Compliance System to Root Out Non-Compliant Accounts
US cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase has been awarded a new patent from the US Patent and Trademark Office for an automated system to flag and remove non-compliant user accounts.
LocalBitcoins Seller Charged by US Homeland Security for Money Laundering
Kenneth Rhule, a localBitcoins seller is charged by the US Homeland Security for conducting an unlicensed money transmitting business. Rhule can face up to forty years in prison on account of fraudulent activity alongside illegal marijuana production and distribution.
117 Smuggled Crypto Mining Machines Seized by Iranian Police
The Iranian provincial police had apprehended an individual who was said to be smuggling in cryptocurrency mining machines. This was reported by the local news agency Fars News, on July 31.
Deutsche Bank Ignored Suspicious Activity of Child Sex Trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, Bitcoin Community Screams Hypocrisy
The NY State Department of Financial Services has slapped Deutsche Bank with a $150 million dollar fine, Bitcoin Community has been quick to call out the institutional bank’s shortcomings in funding international sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
Coinbase Custody Launches New International Institutional Grade Crypto Service to European Clients
With its operations based in Dublin, Ireland, Coinbase Custody launched its institutional-grade crypto asset storage service to clients in Europe. The cryptocurrency exchange launched Coinbase Custody in 2017 for institutional clients such as hedge funds and family offices. Its assets under management have over $7 billion in cryptocurrency assets, with its acquisition of Xapo’s institutional custody business in August 2019.
Elliptic to Provide AML Services to Zilliqa’s Blockchain Network
Elliptic, a London-based blockchain analytics startup, has partnered with Zilliqa, a Singapore-based blockchain network provider, to propel the infrastructure compliance and security of the latter’s network by offering an anti-money laundering (AML) compliance support.
Europol Empowers Victims with Tools to Fend Off Ransomware Attacks
Europol, European Union’s law enforcement agency, has put together an anti-ransomware initiative that has managed to intercept $630 million dollars and more in ransomware demands, since 2016.
French Finance Minister Praises Blockchain, but Condemns Cryptocurrency
French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire has once again made his stance on crypto clear – he is critical of it and does not support it.