NEWS: 70% of AFC professionals think AML measures ‘inefficient,’ stopping just ‘a small fraction’ of ML – report

Regulatory Watch News

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  Syrian migrant smugglers arrested in coordinated strike in Germany and Serbia

  europol

  August 6, 2026

  A coordinated international operation has dealt a significant blow to two international migrant smuggling networks with close links to Libya and the Western Balkans, leading to the arrest of three High Value Targets in Germany and Serbia. This follows several years of intensive and extensive investigations led by the German Federal Police under the direction of three Bavarian Public Prosecutors’ Offices. The action day, carried out on 5 August 2026, brought together authorities from Germany and Serbia under the framework of an Operational Taskforce coordinated by Europol. Investigators targeted senior members of two interconnected Syrian criminal networks believed to have organised the smuggling of more than 900 migrants into the European Union.

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  Update to UK Sanctions List: Russia Regime

  UK Government

  August 6, 2026

  Today, Thursday 6^th August, the UK Government has designated the following individual and 12 entities, and specified the following 6 ships, under the Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations. Designated Individual:

  Name:	Unique ID:
  Aleksander Aleksandrovich ZHDANOV	RUS3708

    Designated Entities:

  Name:	Unique ID:
  NORTHERN ENGINEERING LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY	RUS3701
  FRION SHIP MANAGEMENT LLP	RUS3703
  LLC METALLKOMPLEKT	RUS3704
  LLC NIKOM	RUS3705
  LLC PROMSIZ	RUS3706
  LLC TECHNOLUX	RUS3707
  LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY "OZON BANK"	RUS3709
  STATE SPECIALIZED RUSSIAN EXPORT-IMPORT BANK (JOINT-STOCK COMPANY)	RUS3710
  PJSC COMMERCIAL BANK "CENTER-INVEST"	RUS3711
  JOINT STOCK COMPANY REALIST BANK	RUS3712
  PJSC BANK STAVR	RUS3713
  JOINT STOCK COMPANY TELEPORT BANK	RUS3714

   

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  AMLA launches survey on Central Contact Points

  AMLA

  August 6, 2026

  Understanding the current framework

  The survey forms part of AMLA's preparatory work on upcoming Regulatory Technical Standard on Art. 41 (2) AMLD. It aims to gather practical insights into how the existing framework has been implemented across the EU. The feedback will help AMLA understand how CCP arrangements work in practice, how effective they have been, and where institutions may have encountered operational challenges. In parallel, AMLA is conducting a separate survey for national competent authorities to gather supervisory perspectives. Crypto-asset service providers are not included in this exercise, as the previous CCP framework did not apply to them.