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Regulatory Watch News

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  New guidance on OFSI’s new licensing approach for designated Iranian banks

  OFSI

  September 23, 2026

  The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) has published new guidance today. With immediate effect, HM Treasury will apply a presumption of denial to licence applications made by the five designated Iranian banks listed below. Each application will continue to be considered on its individual facts.

  • Bank Sepah
  • Melli Bank plc
  • Bank Saderat
  • Persia International Bank
  • Bank Tejarat

  This means that licence applications involving these banks will generally be refused unless there are clear and compelling reasons to justify an exception. Further details on how this test will be applied will be set out in a FAQ soon.

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  SEC Charges South Florida Resident and His Company for Alleged Investment Scheme Defrauding Law Enforcement

  SEC

  September 23, 2026

  Washington D.C., Sept. 23, 2026 —

  The Securities and Exchange Commission today charged CMI Capital LLC and its founder and manager, Michael D. Williams, for an alleged fraudulent investment scheme that raised approximately $860,000 from at least 18 investors, many of whom are current or retired law enforcement officers in South Florida. The defendants have agreed to a bifurcated settlement in connection with the charges and subject to court approval. According to the SEC’s complaint, from at least October 2023 through August 2024, Williams, of Port St. Lucie, Florida, made numerous false and misleading statements in order to convince clients to invest in two funds that he controlled. The investors, many of whom trusted Williams because he worked for a third-party police and firefighter pension plan administrator, were allegedly told that one of the funds had a portfolio value of more than $5 million and achieved returns exceeding 140 percent.

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  UN Crime Congress: Technology is transforming crime – and the response to it

  UNODC

  September 23, 2026

  Criminal networks now move money, goods and information across borders at lightning speed, exploiting everything from new technologies to global instability. Yet the same tools that help drive illicit activity could also transform the fight against it. Technology, while creating what Ms. Juma describes as “an ecosystem of criminal profiteering with a very far-reaching footprint”, can also enable faster, smarter and more coordinated responses to threats that increasingly touch every corner of the world. Those challenges – from cyber-enabled crime to trafficking and online scams – will be at the centre of discussions in Abu Dhabi at the 15th UN Crime Congress; the world's largest gathering focused on crime prevention and criminal justice.