Panama Covid-19 update – the last weekend lockdown (for now), but still 470 new cases and 13 new fatalities, with 8,857 active cases.

Details of Phase 2 of the vaccination programme have been released, including for the over-60s, with time and day of vaccination based on the last 2 numbers of your cedula (ID card), and going province by province, starting with those areas worst affected by the virus, from next week.

28 February 2021

UK P+I CLUB PUBLISHES ARTICLE ON PREVENTING COCAINE SMUGGLING

On 26 February, Insurance Marine News reported that the P+I club recommends that shipping line employees involved in making commercial arrangements with customers should be aware of the potential for drug smuggling activity using reefers and containers; and proper due diligence should be conducted on new customers, especially when the shipper or consignee are unknown or there are no references.  Due care should also be taken with existing customers, especially if there are changes in their patterns of trading.  It also said that Drug Prevention Officers should be employed and stationed in known drug trafficking areas and reports should be made to the local authorities if there was any suspicion regarding a booking.

https://insurancemarinenews.com/insurance-marine-news/uk-club-publishes-article-on-preventing-cocaine-smuggling/

SINGAPORE PARLIAMENT PASSES LAW TO RECOGNISE ELECTRONIC BILLS OF LADING

On 23 February, the UK P+I Club reported that on 1 February, the Singapore parliament passed the Electronic Transactions (Amendment) Bill which adopts the UNICTRAL Model Law on Electronic Transferable Records, with certain modifications.  Amongst other things, the Bill enables the creation and use of an electronic bill of lading that is legally equivalent to a paper bill of lading.

https://www.ukpandi.com/news-and-resources/articles/2021/singapore-parliament-passes-law-to-recognise-electronic-bills-of-lading/

US: ROMANCE SCAMS IN 2020 SOARED TO RECORD MORE THAN $300 MILLION IN LOSSES, UP 50% FROM PRE-PANDEMIC 2019

On 15 February, ACFCS reported that the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) says that, fuelled by more people working from home and missing out on genuine human contact and a jump in lonely hearts looking for love on social media and dating apps, romance scams reached a record $304 million in losses.

https://www.acfcs.org/my-bloody-valentine-romance-scams-in-2020-soared-to-record-more-than-300-million-in-losses-up-50-percent-from-pre-pandemic-2019-ftc/

MALAYSIA’S AmBank TO PAY $700 MILLION IN 1MDB-LINKED SETTLEMENT

On 26 February, Reuters reported that Malaysian banking group AMMB Holdings Berhad (AmBank) said it will pay the government $699 million to settle claims linked to a massive financial scandal at state fund 1MDB. 

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-malaysia-politics-1mdb-ammb-idUSKBN2AQ1XF

9 MONTHS INTO COVID-19 LOAN PROGRAMME, BRITAIN ASSESSES CRIMINAL ABUSE

On 24 February, Moneylaundering.com reported that UK lenders face a mountain of potentially fraudulent claims to investigate.  It explains that the Bounce Back Loan Scheme has provided financial relief for struggling businesses after the UK government imposed the first nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.  Almost £45 billion has been lent to approximately 1.5 million businesses to date.  UK officials estimated in October that up to £26 billion in loans had been lost to defaults and fraud.

https://www.moneylaundering.com/news/nine-months-into-covid-19-loan-program-britain-assesses-criminal-abuse/

TRADEMARK AND TAX RECORDS TIE MULTI-TON COCAINE SEIZURE IN HAMBURG TO PARAGUAYAN PAINT COMPANY

On 26 February, Sayari reported that the previously unreported connection to the Paraguayan company underscores the value of public records in identifying actors potentially involved in transatlantic cocaine trafficking.  Dutch officials had identified 11 additional high-risk containers arriving in Antwerp from Panama, filled with fruit, seafood and wood.  The Belgian authorities then seized over 7,000 kg of cocaine from a container carrying wood, according to Dutch authorities.

https://sayari.com/blog/trademark-and-tax-records-tie-multi-ton-cocaine-seizure-in-hamburg-to-paraguayan-paint-company/

CHINA’S FENTANYL CONNECTION: THE SUPPLIERS FUELLING AMERICA’S OPIOID EPIDEMIC

On 28 February, the South China Morning Post reported that an investigation traces back to China supply lines of chemicals used by cartels to produce the opioid, and says that under Chinese law, many sellers of fentanyl-precursor chemicals are not committing criminal acts. 

https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/long-reads/article/3123109/chinas-fentanyl-connection-suppliers-fuelling

CHINA IS EXPLORING DIGITAL YUAN CROSS-BORDER PAYMENTS BY JOINING WITH HONG KONG, THAILAND, UAE AND THE BANK OF INTERNATIONAL SETTLEMENTS

On 24 February, the South China Morning Post reported that the People’s Bank of China is joining the Multiple Central Bank Digital Currency Bridge, a project exploring cross-border payments using distributed ledgers; and, a joint venture with SWIFT, the project is the latest step towards Beijing’s long-term goal of internationalising the yuan at the expense of the US dollar.  The expansion of the project has received support from the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) Innovation Hub centre in Hong Kong, a unit created by the Switzerland-based organisation to study key financial technologies for central banks.

https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3122924/beijing-exploring-digital-yuan-cross-border-payments-joining-hong-kong

SERBIAN SOCCER CHIEF QUESTIONED BY POLICE OVER FAN-MAFIA LINKS

On 28 February, Rferl reported that the president of the FA of Serbia has been questioned by police in Belgrade in connection with recent arrests of several members of soccer fan groups who are accused of murder, kidnapping, and drug trafficking.   Leaders of Partizan Belgrade supporter groups who were arrested earlier in February in what officials say is a major crackdown against soccer’s links with organised crime.  Allegations include including decapitations and torture carried out in a special “bunker” at the Partizan stadium in the Serbian capital.

https://www.rferl.org/a/serbian-soccer-chief-questioned-by-police-over-fan-mafia-links/31126159.html

Photo said to show Russian diplomats and family members leaving North Korea using a hand-operated railway trolley due to coronavirus restrictions

https://www.rferl.org/a/top-shots-photos-week-8-2021/31115815.html

ISRAEL SAYS IRAN LIKELY BEHIND EXPLOSION ON ISRAELI-OWNED CAR TRANSPORTER SHIP IN GULF

On 28 February, Rferl reported on what is being seen as likely an attack by Iran against a an Israeli-owned cargo vessel, the MV Helios Ray, in the Gulf of Oman.  The explosion struck the Israeli-owned vehicle carrier above the water line as it was traveling from the Saudi port of Dammam to Singapore.  The Bahamas-flagged vessel currently docked in Dubai and is registered in the Isle of Man.

https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-persian-gulf-attack-on-israeli-ship/31125626.html

 

 

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In its 1 March edition, the Hindustan Times reported that he is currently fighting revocation of his citizenship in an Antiguan civil court. Associated with Nirav Modi, whose extradition from the UK was approved by a British court last week, Antigua and Barbuda cancelled the citizenship of Mehul Choksi granted under the Caribbean nation’s Citizenship by Investment Programme (CIP) in November 2017.  It is also said that after Choksi exhausts his appeal against revocation of citizenship, extradition proceedings will begin.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/antigua-revokes-citizenship-of-mehul-choksi-101614540096186.html

 

 

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On 26 February, France 24 reported that the French industrial group dealing in transport, energy and logistics has reached a settlement over a decade-old corruption case in Togo, but a separate plea deal with 3 top company executives was thrown out by a judge.  The company agreed to pay €12 million as part of the deal.  The judge recommended that the 3 executives, including billionaire and chairman Vincent Bolloré, should stand trial under criminal charges.

https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20210226-bolloré-group-fined-€12-million-in-african-corruption-case

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On 27 February, an article from Insight Crime reported that an investigation has identified Mexico as a major contributor to a global seahorse trafficking network centred around China but this trade is also affecting other Latin American nations.  A report says that close to 100,000 seahorses were trafficked illegally between Mexico and China, most often bound for Beijing, Hong Kong and Shanghai.  They were usually packaged inside personal luggage on commercial flights, but were also sometimes sent by courier and even by ship, making it harder to determine if the contents are illegal.

https://insightcrime.org/news/latin-americas-bustling-trade-in-seahorses-to-china/

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Panama Covid-19 update – into the last lockdown weekend (for now, at least)

Meanwhile, another 664 cases reported and 11 more fatalities, with 9,123 active cases – 168 in ICU, 968 in other wards and 328 in hotels.

27 February 2021

2021 AML TRENDS AND DEVELOPMENTS (PART III)

On 26 February, the Compliance & Enforcement blog at the Program on Corporate Compliance & Enforcement at the New York University School of Law published the final part of its 3-part report, and discussing SAR return in the US.

https://wp.nyu.edu/compliance_enforcement/2021/02/26/2021-aml-trends-and-developments-part-iii-of-iii/

GUATEMALA SEIZES OF FORMER PANAMA PRESIDENT’S PRIVATE JET AT US REQUEST

On 27 February, Newsroom Panama reported that the authorities have seized the private jet of former President Ricardo Martinelli at the request of the US.  This is the aircraft that had been waiting to carry the former President’s sons, Ricardo Alberto and Luis Enrique Martinelli Linares, back to panama when they were arrested in July 2020.  They are awaiting extradition to the US facing charges of alleged conspiracy to commit money laundering.

https://www.newsroompanama.com/business/guatemala-seizes-martinellis-plane-at-us-request

US: CHINESE BUSINESSMAN CHARGED WITH CONSPIRING TO STEAL TRADE SECRETS

A news release from the US DoJ on 26 February announced that Chi Lung Winsman Ng, aka Winsman Ng, 64, a Chinese businessman residing in Hong Kong, was indicted for conspiring to steal General Electric’s trade secrets involving the company’s silicon carbide MOSFET technology worth millions of dollars.  The indictment alleges that between about March 2017 and January 2018, Ng and at least one co-conspirator plotted to develop a business that would manufacture and sell silicon carbide MOSFETs using trade secrets stolen from GE. MOSFETs, or silicon carbide metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistors, are small electronic semiconductors/switches that regulate the flow of electricity through devices and are used in a variety of products. 

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/chinese-businessman-charged-conspiring-steal-trade-secrets

2 CHINESE MILITARY SUPPLIERS TO MERGE TO COUNTER US SANCTIONS

On 26 February, SupChina reported that 2 military technology suppliers, China Electronics Technology Group (CETC) and SOE Potevio, will merge amid US sanction pressures and Beijing’s push for state-owned enterprises reforms.  CETC, a state-owned enterprise that supplies China’s military, will absorb Potevio, a fellow information technology state-owned company, to create China’s third-largest information technology company. 

https://supchina.com/2021/02/26/two-chinese-military-suppliers-to-merge-to-counter-u-s-sanctions/

US: GHANAIAN NATIONAL ARRESTED FOR WIRE FRAUD AND MONEY LAUNDERING ARISING FROM $1.7 MILLION “ROMANCE SCAM”

A news release from the US DoJ on 26 February advised that Kofi Osei (aka Paul Proia, Kenneth Buck, Jeffrey Anashe), 28, who most recently resided in Randolph, has been indicted on 7 counts of making a false statement to a bank, six counts of wire fraud and two counts of money laundering.  According to the indictment, from approximately 2016 to at least 2020, Osei opened bank accounts in the greater Boston area using fake identity documents. Those bank accounts were used to receive fraudulently obtained funds from a number of victims of romance scams.

https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/pr/ghanaian-national-arrested-wire-fraud-and-money-laundering-arising-17-million-romance

RYA AND BRITISH MARINE CHALLENGE HMRC’S POST-BREXIT PLANS FOR PRIVATE PLEASURE CRAFT

On 25 February, the Royal Yachting Association reported that it and trade body British Marine have written to the Chief Executive of HMRC calling for a holistic approach and reconsideration of fundamental issues that are increasingly presenting adverse impact for private pleasure boaters, the second-hand boat market, and the UK marine industry as a whole. The letter outlines the key principal issues and offers workable solutions.   The matters mentioned includes the 1-year period of grace granted in October 2020 by HM Treasury in respect of the 3-year condition for returned goods relief (RGR), which fails to understand the many factors that affect the repatriation of vessels, including, global pandemic travel restrictions.

https://www.rya.org.uk/newsevents/news/Pages/rya-and-british-marine-challenge-hmrcs-post-brexit-plans-for-private-pleasure-craft.aspx

US: 11 ADDITIONAL DEFENDANTS PLEAD GUILTY IN $300 MILLION NATIONWIDE TELEMARKETING FRAUD SCHEME

A news release from the US DoJ on 26 February announced the guilty pleas of 11 additional defendants for their roles in a $300 million telemarketing fraud scheme that targeted elderly and other vulnerable victims.   It is said that the defendants participated in the fraud scheme in various roles, including telemarketers, call centre managers, or magazine company owners.  The defendants used, or directed their co-defendants to use, fraudulent sales scripts to defraud victim-consumers, many of whom were elderly or otherwise vulnerable, out of hundreds or even thousands of dollars.  The fraudulent sales scripts were designed to induce consumers, through a series of lies and misrepresentations, into making large or repeat payments to the companies.

https://www.justice.gov/usao-mn/pr/eleven-additional-defendants-plead-guilty-300-million-nationwide-telemarketing-fraud

US CHARGES SERBIAN MAN BEHIND STEVEN SEAGAL-PROMOTED Bitcoiin2Gen SCAM

On 26 February, Coingeek reported that authorities in the US had unveiled charges against a Serbian man who allegedly operated a $7 million cryptocurrency scam.  Krstijan Krstic founded Start Options and Bitcoiin2Gen, or B2G, in 2017.  It is claimed that Krstic funnelled all the money he raised to a bank account and digital wallet in the Philippines.  He raised roughly $7 million before he disappeared and stopped communicating with the investors.  He would later publish a press release that falsely claimed he had sold Start Options to Russian investors.

https://coingeek.com/us-charges-serbian-man-behind-steven-seagal-promoted-bitcoiin2gen-scam

FIELD FISHER “DATA PROTECTION TIMES” NEWSLETTER

Law firm Field Fisher produced the first edition of its new newsletter on 26 February – a round-up of the latest data protection developments that have caught the attention of the firm’s Privacy, Security and Information law team.

https://res.cloudinary.com/fieldfisher/image/upload/v1614357709/PDFs/The_Data_Protection_Times_-_February_2021_a7daxl.pdf

EUROPE COCAINE HAULS REACH NEW RECORD HEIGHTS

On 26 February, Insight Crime reported that, while the seizure of 23 tons of cocaine by German, Belgian and Dutch police — the largest-ever haul of the drug in the EU — was noteworthy, it serves as merely the latest proof of how Europe has become the epicentre of the global cocaine trade.

https://insightcrime.org/news/europe-cocaine-record-heights/

UN AGENCY: STANDARDS HELP TO TIGHTEN THE NET ON ILLEGAL FISHING

On 25 February, the UN Economic Commission for Europe Information Unit announced developments in the Agreement on Port State Measures (PSMA), which dates from 2016 and is intended to combat IUU fishing by preventing illegal fishers from using ports and landing the illegal catches. The Agreement counts 68 parties, including the UK, US and EU, and on 8 February, the Russian Federation announced that it was becoming a Party to the PSMA.

https://unece.org/sustainable-development/press/uncefact-standards-help-tighten-net-illegal-fishing

LITHUANIA SHOWCASES REGTECH PROTOTYPE AMID FOCUS ON AML EFFORTS

On 25 February, the Global Government Forum reported that Lithuania’s central bank, Lietuvos Bankas, has showcased a new regulatory technology (regtech) prototype that automates reporting procedures, cutting the administrative burden for financial market participants.  It is said that testing focused on AML uses, but could automate reporting procedures for other financial market participants, according to Lietuvos Bankas. It also gives the regulator “an entirely new level of monitoring and analysis”, according to a press release.  The importance of AML was highlighted in a report, published by Invest Lithuania, an agency of the Ministry of Economy, that focused on the country’s fintech sector.  This year Lithuania will also officially open a Centre of Excellence in AML. It is being established by the Ministry of Finance, Lietuvos Bankas and the country’s commercial banks. Other public and private organisations are expected to take part in its activities. The centre’s aims include to: share information on money laundering and terrorist financing; undertake analyses and prepare guidelines and legislative initiatives to improve Lithuania’s AML/CFT framework; and to help businesses with AML/CFT risk assessments.

https://www.globalgovernmentforum.com/lithuania-showcases-regtech-prototype-amid-focus-on-anti-money-laundering-efforts/

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On 24 February, the Gibraltar Chronicle reported that the Gibraltar Government has called on individuals to regularise their tax residence in Spain to prevent their vehicles being impounded at the frontier.  Several owners of Gibraltar cars and motorcycles had vehicles impounded in Spain and a Government spokesman explained that anyone who is officially resident in Spain cannot own a Gibraltar-registered vehicle, and anyone who is resident in Gibraltar cannot own a Spanish-registered vehicle.

https://www.chronicle.gi/govt-offers-advice-after-g-reg-cars-impounded-at-border-over-vat-rules/

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On 25 February, an article from the Brookings Institute says that new research demonstrates that the incidence of piracy in a particular location is associated with higher catch volumes from high-bycatch and habitat-destroying fishing, even when controlling for conditions in proximate coastal areas. We find, additionally, that illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing exerts an especially pronounced effect on piracy.  It says that the findings highlight the need for anti-piracy solutions beyond enforcement to include the policing of fishing practices that are illegal or are perceived by local fishers in vulnerable coastal areas to be harmful to small-scale fishing economies.

https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/journal.pone_.0246835.pdf

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On 26 February, the UN added 3 names to its Somalia sanctions list.

https://www.un.org/press/en/2021/sc14455.doc.htm

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Chatham House has released a report saying that since the 2011 revolution, the Libyan Investment Authority (LIA) has been a battleground. Interests entrenched from the Gaddafi era have sought to preserve their stake while new actors work to wrestle control of parts of the organization.  And these Libyan battles have been exported to courtrooms around the world – from London to the Cayman Islands – while the UN asset freeze on the LIA does not in reality cover all of its structure, meaning some elements remain up for grabs.

https://chathamhouse.shorthandstories.com/libya-investing-wealth-of-nation/

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On 26 February, Jurist reported that a South Korean human rights group has claimed that North Korea is using forced labour from its prison camps to mine coal and other minerals to boost exports and earn foreign currency.  It alleges that North Korea is using the money generated from the scheme to support its nuclear weapons programmes.

https://www.jurist.org/news/2021/02/rights-group-finds-north-korea-uses-prisoners-to-boost-exports-and-fund-weapons-program/

The report from the Citizens’ Alliance for North Korea Human Rights (NKHR) is at –

https://eng.nkhumanrights.or.kr/data/n_r_reports/20210224170215.pdf

I would be grateful for any modest contribution for my time and ongoing costs of computer, relocation, and (still ongoing) removal costs, I have a page, where contributions start as low as $3, at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/KoIvM842y