Russia launched a money laundering probe into the leader of Moldova's Democratic Party on Friday, in what critics claim was an attempt to influence Sunday’s parliamentary elections.

Thousands rallied against the Albanian government on Thursday, claiming it is corrupt and linked to organized crime, as opposition lawmakers resigned from parliament, demanding an early election.

Lithuanian authorities detained on Wednesday 26 people, including judges and lawyers, in a large-scale anti-corruption probe of the judiciary. The suspects are accused of large-scale bribery, trading in influence and abuse of powers.

German authorities announced on Wednesday they seized 50 million euros (US$56.7 million) believed to be derived from the “Russian Laundromat” - an international money laundering scheme exposed in 2014 by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) and the Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta.

Estonia’s financial regulator, on Tuesday, gave Danske Bank’s Estonian branch eight months to close down, saying the money-laundering scandal possibly involving some US$230 billion has seriously damaged the credibility and reputation of Estonia’s financial environment.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro signed Tuesday the Anti-Crime Bill, a significant step in the country’s crackdown on organized crime, violent crime and corruption, the country’s Justice Ministry said.

A Tanzanian Magistrate’s Court sentenced on Tuesday Chinese businesswoman Yang Feng Glan, nicknamed “Ivory Queen,” to 15 years in prison for running a large-scale smuggling operation which delivered ivory from the tusks of more than 350 elephants, worth US $6.4 million, to Asia.

A Maldives court ordered the detention of former President Yameen Abdul Gayoom on Monday for the duration of his money laundering trial, following reports he is attempting to bribe witnesses.

A Stockholm district court acquitted the former chief executive and two senior managers of telecommunications giant Telia Company of bribery charges stemming from the company’s expansion into Uzbekistan.

Russia’s State Duma is considering a new law which would make it easier to prosecute the heads of organized crime networks who often avoid direct involvement in crimes, creating a charge of “holding a high position in a criminal hierarchy.”