Tweet Two Bitcoin-related alleged drug traffickers living large In the last few months, the Australian Federal Police have arrested two well-known Bitcoin guys suspected of leading secret lives as international drug traffickers. Both alleged to the public that they had real jobs, one operating a digital currency exchange and the other an IT business, but […]
Tweet Fourth banks closes remittances businesses Another bank in Australia, the Westpac Bank, has announced it will close its remittance business division next week over the difficulty of complying with counter-terrorism laws. By de-risking and closing its remittance division, the Bank is terminating the bank accounts of all of its business customers who operate money […]
Tweet Terrorist groups are not a financial island This article has been updated and replaced with the White Paper on ISIS’ Terrorist Financing available here.
Tweet The government of Australia is set to announce sweeping new counter-terrorism laws early next week according to several news reports. The new anti-terrorism laws will, inter alia: Authorize police to secretly search the home of suspected terrorists. Allow the incarceration for up to five years of persons convicted of preaching radical extremists acts (presumably related […]
Tweet AUSTRAC unregisters MSB Australia’s financial intelligence unit, AUSTRAC, has suspended the registration and activities of a money services business (MSB) in Australia over questions arising from potential terrorist financing. It is the first time AUSTRAC has suspended a reporting entity. The MSB, operating under the trade name Bisotel Rieh Pty Ltd., failed to report […]