European authorities this month launched a coordinated action against hundreds of suspects accused of running a massive investment fraud network that was exposed by OCCRP in a 2020 investigation, Eurojust and Europol announced.

President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoev appointed on Monday his eldest daughter to his administration, continuing a tradition observed by almost all Central Asian leaders of placing their relatives to high government positions.

Two former Panamanian presidents and other high-profile figures will be standing trial for alleged money laundering and bribery offenses totaling nearly US$59 million linked to the Brazilian-based Odebrecht S.A. corruption scandal, Panama’s top prosecutors said.

Hong Kong Customs seized over seven tonnes of suspected smuggled meat and fish, including thousands of kilograms worth of Chinese hairy crab, also known as Chinese mitten crab, a delicacy in Chinese society.

Italian authorities arrested this week dozens of suspects and confiscated millions in assets as they stepped-up operations against mafia-like groups in the country.

Polish authorities carried out a nationwide operation against perpetrators of child sexual exploitation and child pornography, culminating in over 40 arrests made and the seizure of over 15,000 files of photographic material depicting the sexual abuse of children, some as young as toddlers and even infants.

Ivory smuggled to China is frequently sourced from Japan’s ivory market, which remains open despite concerns over its connection to illegal wildlife trade. The findings, presented in a new report by Japan Tiger and Elephant Fund (JTEF), cast further doubt over Japan’s repeated claims that the regulations in place prevent its market from contributing to poaching.

The European Union and United States imposed further sanctions on Myanmar’s military regime on Tuesday by designating arms dealers, companies and senior officials as violence continues to escalate since last year’s military takeover.

A Senegalese investigative journalist and prominent government critic who was arrested last  weekend was charged on Wednesday evening with endangering national security, according to the court’s ruling cited in the local media. The decision comes amid a wave of public outrage over what is seen as a brutal attack on freedom of speech undermining Senegal’s democracy.

The U.S. State Department has announced rewards of US$1 million dollars for information which will lead to the arrest of the leadership of Haiti's 400 Mawozo gang which last year kidnapped several U.S. citizens for ransom.