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Regulatory Watch News

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  Poland and Spain take down gang hiding drugs worth millions in fruit and veg crates

  Europol

  June 1, 2023

  In yet another victory on the war on drugs,  law enforcement in Spain and Poland have taken down with Europol’s support an international drug trafficking organisation suspected of bringing into Poland vast amounts of drugs hidden in lorries of fruit and vegetables. Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement seized over 260 kilos of marijuana, amphetamine and cocaine with a total street value of EUR 2 925 400.

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  VIRTUAL ASSETS (VA) AND VIRTUAL ASSET SERVICE PROVIDERS (VASP) NETWORK

  APG

  June 1, 2023

  The APG has recently launched the APG Virtual Asset (VA) and Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) Network for public sector representatives of APG members and observers to share information on challenges, enforcement activities, experiences and policy developments relating to VAs and VASPs. The Network will also facilitate discussions on relevant policies and papers issued by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) concerning VAs and VASPs and any technical assistance requested by APG members relating to the implementation of Recommendation 15.

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  Taxi drivers turned into managers to receive EU funds for leadership training – two convictions for subsidy fraud in Czechia

  European Public Prosecutor's Office

  May 31, 2023

  An investigation by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in České Budějovice (Czechia) revealed that in 2017, the convicted person and her company claimed to be providing soft skills leadership training for managers, and had received up to €70 800 (CZK 1 700 000) in EU funds for it. However, the investigation proved that the majority of the documented participants were not managers, but taxi drivers, who had never attended any training session. The company owner was sentenced to 30 months of imprisonment with a probationary period of four years and a financial penalty of €8 500. The company was prohibited from applying for and receiving subsidies for a period of six years.