OCCRP

OCCRP

Spanish Police Dismantle 'Dubai Bank' Narco-Network, Arrest 21

The massive international probe, sparked by the intentional sinking of a cocaine-laden ship in 2021, took down a high-value Europol target and crippled an underground financial network used to fund global drug shipments.

OCCRP

Pressure Mounts in European Parliament to Curb Alumina Exports to Russia

Members of the European Parliament are calling for restrictions on the export of alumina to Russia after an investigation by OCCRP and partners revealed the product was feeding into the supply chain of sanctioned weapons manufacturers.

OCCRP

Wanted in China with $100M in Properties Frozen in the UK, ‘Mr. X’ is Living in Japan

British prosecutors referred to Su Jiangbo only as “Mr. X” when they announced an asset freeze in March. OCCRP discovered his identity, and found a Chinese arrest warrant for him. Reporters have now found him living in Japan.

OCCRP

Spies, Malware, and Blackouts: EU Blames Secret FSB Unit for Decade of Cyber Sabotage

The EU and Britain have unmasked a specialized Russian intelligence unit behind a decade of cyber-espionage, revealing a foiled winter plot to cut power to 500,000 people and exposing the Kremlin’s deep ties to criminal hacking syndicates.

OCCRP

Ukrainian Media Defy Court Ban to Publish Spiked Corruption Probe

Condemning a preemptive court injunction as "prior censorship," Ukrainian newsrooms united to publish a blocked investigation into a top official's inner circle.

OCCRP

Company Managed by Relative of Dutch ‘Fat King’ Was Raided in Biofuel Fraud Investigation

Legal trouble is brewing for a company managed by Gerrit Bunschoten, the relative of a man convicted in a biofuel fraud case in 2019. Dutch authorities are scrutinizing the company as part of another investigation into an alleged biofuel fraud scheme.

OCCRP

European Password Manager Shares Origins and Updates with State-Certified Russian Firm

Passwork, a Spain-based password manager used by European government agencies and universities, shares technological ties with a Russian counterpart — an arrangement that experts say poses a state-level security risk.

OCCRP

Irish Alumina Exports to Russia Revised Down, But Still Lead

Ireland’s statistics office revised down earlier figures on alumina exports to Russia, but Russia remains the biggest single destination for shipments from the Rusal-owned Aughinish Alumina refinery.

OCCRP

Hitmen Name Former Minister and Chief of Staff in Daphne Caruana Galizia Murder

Testifying in the trial of businessman Yorgen Fenech, the Degiorgio brothers implicated top political figures in the 2017 assassination plot but repeatedly clashed with the judge and prosecutors.

OCCRP

U.S. Man Extradited for Smuggling Drugs Through Subterranean Border Railway

OCCRP

Graft, Gold, and Blackouts: Indonesia Prosecutes Its Own in $278 Million Coal Scandal

After a raid on his home uncovered 74 kilograms of gold and $15 million in cash, former Deputy Attorney General Febrie Adriansyah faces prosecution by his own former agency over a massive coal-procurement scheme linked to widespread power failures and military intimidation.

OCCRP

Scam Empire: How Criminal Call Centers Make Millions From Investment Scams

Scam call centers have been a scourge for years, conning ordinary people around the world out of hundreds of billions of dollars. Touting fake celebrity endorsements and deploying the latest technological buzzwords, skilled fraudsters lure victims into handing over their life savings for imaginary “investments.” And they operate with near-impunity: they’re hard to track and harder to prosecute. Their inner workings usually remain a mystery.But not anymore. An unprecedented leak of nearly two ter

OCCRP

From Headlines to Impact: Connecting Journalism and Civil Society to Drive Accountability in Ukraine

OCCRP

Up to 15 Years in Prison Sought for Azerbaijani Journalists in Deepening Crackdown

Press freedom organizations say the lengthy sentences demanded for Toplum TV journalists are designed to stifle independent media exposing high-level corruption.

OCCRP

Alumina Exports to Russia Not Included in the EU’s 21st Sanctions Package

EU Foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said alumina exports are not part of the bloc’s latest round of anti-Russia sanctions, and that an Irish Government investigation is ongoing into whether the raw material refined in Ireland is ending up in Russian weapons used in Ukraine.

OCCRP

A Police HQ, Wind Farms, and Natural Gas: Mapping China's Investments in Europe

Through an opaque network of shell companies in the British Virgin Islands and Luxembourg holding firms, an agency that manages China’s foreign reserves has discreetly scooped up stakes in Europe’s critical infrastructure, utilities, and real estate.

OCCRP

EU Plans Massive 21st Sanctions Package to Target Russian Banks and Crypto

OCCRP

Eyes On The Crew: The Russian Watchmen Aboard Moscow's Sanctioned ‘Shadow Fleet’ Tankers

Dozens of men with security backgrounds have been quietly sailing alongside the standard crews on the tankers carrying sanctioned Russian oil. Now, reporters speak to some of these "watchmen" firsthand to learn about their roles on board.

OCCRP

Piece by Piece: Iraq Seizes More Gold and Cash in Relentless Oil Graft Probe

Days after clawing back a staggering $47 million in commercial assets, Iraqi investigators uncovered yet another cache of gold jewelry and cash in probing former deputy oil minister

OCCRP

U.K. Prosecutors Freeze $33M London Mansion

The U.K.’s Crown Prosecution Service has targeted a luxury mansion in London’s exclusive Highgate neighbourhood owned by a China-born man with Cambodian citizenship.

OCCRP

Nepal Court Jails Ex-Ministers in Refugee Fraud Case

Two former Nepalese ministers were sentenced to prison over a scheme to falsely pass off Nepali citizens as Bhutanese refugees eligible for U.S. resettlement. In total, 16 defendants were convicted in the sweeping fraud and organized crime case.

OCCRP

Sanctioned Alleged Iranian Oil Network “Financier” Behind £25M in Luxury London Real Estate

Newly targeted by the U.S. Treasury, Hossein Ghorbani Zahed owns several prime Knightsbridge apartments via his sanctioned BVI company, land registry documents reveal. Ghorbani Zahed has denied OFAC’s accusations, saying that while he has previously been “friendly” with another sanctioned figure, Mohammad Hossein...

OCCRP

Sanctioned Alleged Iranian Oil Network “Financier” Behind £25M in Luxury London Real Estate

Newly targeted by the U.S. Treasury, Hossein Ghorbani Zahed owns several prime Knightsbridge apartments via his sanctioned BVI company, land registry documents reveal. Ghorbani Zahed has denied OFAC’s accusations, saying that while he has previously been “friendly” with another sanctioned figure, Mohammad Hossein...

OCCRP

Sanctions Evader Zarrab Avoids Prison After Aiding U.S. Prosecutors

A federal judge in New York spared money launderer Reza Zarrab from a prison sentence after he cooperated extensively with U.S. prosecutors in a major sanctions-evasion case.

OCCRP

Romania’s Top Judge Cleared Man Linked to Family Deal

RISE Project found that Romania’s top judge helped acquit a robbery defendant and member of an organized crime group while she co-owned land with his uncle. The man later went on trial in a separate attempted murder case, and Savonea’s 2025 appointment triggered protests over alleged corruption in the justice syste...

OCCRP

Servers in Moldova Hosted Darknet Crime Market, Authorities Say

Moldovan police say computer servers in their country hosted Crimenetwork, a relaunched darknet marketplace that was dismantled in a joint law enforcement operation this month.

OCCRP

Georgia Detains Police Officers Over 2024 Protest Violence

Authorities in Georgia will prosecute five law enforcement officers for attacks against a journalist, a politician, and a protester during nationwide demonstrations in 2024.

OCCRP

Moscow Funded Push for Ukraine’s 2012 ‘Russian’ Language Law

Newly discovered documents by investigative outlet Schemes reveal that a Kremlin-backed foundation secretly financed and shaped the promotional campaign behind Ukraine’s controversial 2012 language law.

OCCRP

EU Sanctions Kyrgyzstan in Move to Choke Off Russia’s War Machine

The European Union has imposed direct restrictions on the Central Asian nation for the first time, accusing it of serving as a conduit for technology used in Russian missiles and drones.

OCCRP

Russian Woman Convicted of Lying About Spy Ties, Stalking Agent Gets Prison Time

Nomma Zarubina sentenced to 14 months in prison for lying to the FBI about her ties to Russian intelligence agency and for facilitating prostitution.

OCCRP

Lebanon Releases ‘Captagon King’ After Seven-Year Sentence

Lebanon's notorious “Captagon King,” Hassan Daqqou, has walked free from a Beirut prison after serving a seven-year sentence. He is still under international sanctions and his ties to the Assad regime and Hezbollah have been documented.

OCCRP

Cambodia Deports 156 Chinese Nationals over Cyber Fraud

OCCRP

Cyprus to Auction Off Fugitive Jho Low's Luxury Seaside Villa

Cypriot authorities say alleged 1MDB scandal mastermind’s legal team did not oppose seizure of 6 million euro villa he bought as part of their country’s now-scrapped “golden passport” scheme.

OCCRP

European Prosecutors Seize Assets in Italian Subsidy Fraud Probe

OCCRP

Egyptian Tycoon Detained in Organized Crime Probe

OCCRP

London Council Reclaims Social Housing Flat Kept by Sierra Leone’s First Lady

London authorities reclaim a subsidized flat held for years by Sierra Leone's first lady Fatima Bio even after she moved into her country's presidential palace.

OCCRP

Eyes On The Crew: The Russian Watchmen Aboard Moscow's Sanctioned ‘Shadow Fleet’ Tankers

Dozens of men with security backgrounds have been quietly sailing alongside the standard crews on the tankers carrying sanctioned Russian oil. Now, reporters speak to some of these "watchmen" firsthand to learn about their roles on board.

OCCRP

US Fines UBS Record $125M for 'Willful' Anti-Money Laundering Violations