Henrique Pizzolato, former marketing director of Brazil’s state-owned bank, was arrested Wednesdayin Italy, where he fled to avoid arrest after being charged with corruption, embezzlement and money laundering.

Around US$540 million was seized in Tuesday’s sting targeting the Zaza clan of the Camorra organized crime group in Italy.

Britain’s National Crime Agency coordinated an operation Tuesday to target a suspected network of international money-laundering specialists, which helped crime figures hide millions of pounds. 

Sex traffickers in Mexico have reportedly begun using underage girls to recruit other minors for sexual exploitation, reflecting a broader trend of the increasing use of children by organized crime.

Russia won the right to host the 2014 Winter Olympics, after the International Olympic Committee voted in 2007. According to an investigation by ABC-TV in the US, Russia was assisted by the criminal boss and heroin kingpin Gafur Rakhimov in beating out Austria and South Korea for the chance to serve as host.

In its first Anti-Corruption Report, the European Commission said corruption costs the European economy about US$160 billion a year.

 A financial empire involving nearly 100 companies, 174 pieces of real estate, 32 vehicles, and two large yachts was seized Jan. 31 by the Guardia di Finanza, the Italian financial police.

The Supreme Court Thursday upheld a five-year sentence for Relu Fenechiu, the former Transport Minister and a prominent figure in the Liberal party, for illegally selling  electrical equipment. 

Colombia and Venezuela are to launch a new anti-smuggling initiative in an attempt to crack down on the huge amounts of contraband crossing their border daily, but local corruption could well prevent any major progress.

Justice Minister Dusko Markovic, who also serves as Deputy Prime Minister, is facing charges for allegedly concealing information during the investigation of the murder of journalist Dusko Jovanovic.