GAMBIA: AML/CFT MUTUAL EVALUATION REPORT

On 5 October, FATF published the mutual evaluation report prepared by FATF-style regional body, GIABA.  The on-site visit took place from 23 August to 3 September 2021.  It is said that, since its first mutual evaluation in 2008, The Gambia has strengthened its legal and institutional framework to comply with international AML/CFT Standards and enhance the regime’s effectiveness. Despite the improvements, there are still some gaps in the legal framework.

http://www.fatf-gafi.org/media/fatf/documents/reports/mer-fsrb/GIABA-Mutual-Evaluation-Gambia-2022.pdf

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UK ADDS AHMAD AL-HAMZI TO YEMEN SANCTIONS LIST

On 5 October, HM Treasury issued a Notice advising that Ahmad AL-HAMZI, Commander of the Houthi Air Force and Air Defense Forces, to its sanctions lists, following the decision of the relevant UN Sanctions Committee.

The Isle of Man followed suit with a news release the same day.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1109404/Notice_Yemen_051022.pdf

https://www.gov.im/news/2022/oct/05/financial-sanctions-yemen/

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EUROPOL: POLICING IN THE METAVERSE – WHAT LAW ENFORCEMENT NEEDS TO KNOW

This report from the Europol Innovations Laboratory brings together all the information gathered during an event in June, and it provides a first, law enforcement-centric outlook at current developments, potential implications for law enforcement, as well as key recommendations as to what the law enforcement community could do to prepare for the future.  The first part of the report presents the concept of immersive worlds and the technologies underpinning it, such as virtual and mixed reality, web3 and blockchain.  The second part explores how the metaverse can be abused in specific crime areas such as financial crime, online abuse and harassment, radicalisation, mass surveillance and disinformation – but says that the metaverse could also present opportunities for the police, not only from an investigation perspective but also to engage more closely with the public it serves or for training purposes. The third part focuses on those.  The final part explores best practices of building police presence online and provides recommendations for police forces around the world to start thinking about their online policing strategies for the future.

https://www.europol.europa.eu/cms/sites/default/files/documents/Metaverse_Report.pdf

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UN ADDS 1 NAME TO YEMEN SANCTIONS

On 4 October, the UN advised that AHMAD AL-HAMZI, Commander of the Houthi Air Force and Air Defense Forces, had been added to the sanctions lists under UN SCR 2140.

https://press.un.org/en/2022/sc15051.doc.htm

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MILITARY ARSENALS PROVIDE CONVENIENT SOURCE OF WEAPONS FOR LATIN AMERICAN GANGS

On 4 October, an article in Insight Crime says that corruption within the ranks, a lack of supervision and tracking, and lacklustre legislation are all to blame for weapons and ammunition from Latin American armies finding their way into the hands of criminal groups, a UN report has found.  The report explores the relationships between military forces and criminal gangs around the world and how these led to a steady flow of weapons across international boundaries and into active conflict zones.

https://insightcrime.org/news/military-arsenals-provide-convenient-source-weapons-latin-american-gangs/

https://www.unodc.org/documents/firearms-protocol/2022/UNIDIR-UNODC_Adressing_the_linkages_between_illict_arms_organized_crime_and_armed_conflict.pdf

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TOGO: AML/CFT MUTUAL EVALUATION REPORT

On 5 October, FATF published this mutual evaluation report, prepared by FATF-style regional body GIABA.  Also available in French and Portuguese, the MER follows the on-site visit, from 24 January to 10 February 2021. 

http://www.fatf-gafi.org/media/fatf/documents/reports/mer-fsrb/GIABA-Mutual-Evaluation-Togo-2022.pdf

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CRYPTO LAUNDERING INVOLVES CROSS-CHAIN BRIDGES AND DECENTRALISED EXCHANGES (DEX)

On 5 October, the Coin Telegraph reported on a new report from Elliptic which says that new research has revealed the extent to which cross-chain bridges and DEX have removed barriers for cybercriminals. It is said that around a third of all stolen crypto, or roughly $1.2 billion, from the incidents surveyed, was swapped using decentralised exchanges.

https://cointelegraph.com/news/new-frontier-of-crypto-laundering-involves-cross-chain-bridges-and-dexs-elliptic

https://www.elliptic.co/resources/state-of-cross-chain-crime-report

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