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Interpol Team Based in Singapore to Help Countries Combat Crypto Crime

Interpol Team Based in Singapore to Help Countries Combat Crypto CrimeA special team established by Interpol in Singapore will assist governments around the world in the fight against crimes involving virtual assets, the international police body announced ahead of its general assembly in India. Cryptocurrency and cybercrime will be the main focus of the forum. Interpol Sets Up Unit to Tackle Crypto-Related Crimes, Top Executive […]

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Interpol reportedly creates dedicated unit to fight crypto crimes

Law enforcement agencies are “very often” not properly trained or equipped to track crypto crimes, Interpol secretary general Jürgen Stock said.

The International Criminal Police Organization is reportedly planning to strengthen its crackdown on cryptocurrency-related crimes by forming a dedicated division.

Interpol, the world’s largest global police organization, has set up a special team in Singapore to help governments fight crimes involving virtual assets, the Indian news agency Business Standard reported on Oct. 17.

Interpol made the announcement at a press conference ahead of its 90th general assembly in Delhi, which is to be attended by high-profile police officials from its 195 members from Oct. 18 until Oct. 21.

According to Interpol secretary general Jürgen Stock, the absence of a legal framework for cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH) poses major challenges to law enforcement agencies. “Because very often, agencies are not properly trained and properly equipped” to address cryptocurrency crimes in the beginning, Stock reportedly noted.

Stock also pointed out that cryptocurrency and cybercrime will be the main focus of the agenda at Interpol’s general assembly in India.

Praveen Sinha, the special director of India’s Central Bureau of Investigations, reiterated that it has been increasingly difficult to monitor cybercrime. He also highlighted Interpol’s role in establishing and developing better police cooperation at the global level.

“The only answer is international cooperation, coordination, trust, and real-time sharing of information,” Sinha said.

The news comes soon after Interpol issued a “red notice” to global law enforcement in September for the arrest of Terraform Labs co-founder Do Kwon. South Korean prosecutors in Seoul previously asked Interpol to circulate the “red notice” for Do Kwon across the agency’s 195 member nations to find him following the collapse of the Terra ecosystem in May 2022.

Related: Terra co-founder Do Kwon says he’s ‘making zero effort to hide’ following Interpol notice

Interpol’s latest efforts to better track cryptocurrency crimes are not the agency’s first initiative to get more crypto-related skills. Interpol has been working to get more expertise to learn about cryptocurrency transactions and identify criminal activity in the darknet as early as at least 2015.

In 2020, Interpol partnered with the cybersecurity firm Trend Micro to reduce cryptojacking affecting routers across South-East Asia. The agency also worked with the South Korean data intelligence startup, S2W Lab, to analyze dark web activity, including cryptocurrency transactions in March 2020.

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Ruble Surges Against Greenback, Ethiopian Birr Exchange Rate Gap Widens; Kiyosaki: The ‘End Is Here’ for Fake Money — Week in Review

Ruble Surges Against Greenback, Ethiopian Birr Exchange Rate Gap Widens; Kiyosaki: The ‘End Is Here’ for Fake Money — Week in ReviewRumors of expanding war, massive inflation destroying people’s purchasing power, and widespread volatility in the world of fiat currencies shaped the news this past week, with similarly dynamic developments in the world of cryptocurrency. Rich Dad Poor Dad author Robert Kiyosaki says the “end is here” for fake money. This and more just below in […]

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Global Manhunt for Terra Luna Founder Do Kwon After Interpol Issues Red Notice

Global Manhunt for Terra Luna Founder Do Kwon After Interpol Issues Red NoticeThe global law enforcement agency the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol), issued a notice for Terraform Labs co-founder Do Kwon just a few weeks after a warrant for his arrest was issued by South Korean authorities. The red notice enables South Korea to receive help from global law enforcement bodies in locating and “provisionally arrest[ing] […]

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Terra co-founder Do Kwon says he’s ‘making zero effort to hide’ following Interpol notice

Do Kwon told his more than one million Twitter followers that he had not seen his name on Interpol’s Red Notice list, but not all names are made available to the public.

Terra co-founder Do Kwon, wanted by South Korean authorities and whose whereabouts are currently unknown, has suggested he’s not changing his routine in response to potential legal action.

In a Monday tweet, Kwon said members of Crypto Twitter had likely seen him walking on the street or around shopping malls — without mentioning the city or country — in “the past couple weeks” despite Interpol reportedly issuing a Red Notice for the Terra co-founder. Kwon told his more than one million followers in a reply that he had not seen his name on Interpol’s list of individuals to “locate and provisionally arrest [...] pending extradition, surrender, or similar legal action,” but not all names are made public.

“I’m writing code in my living room,” said Kwon. “I’m making zero effort to hide.”

Source: Twitter

Active on social media while facing potential arrest and prosecution in South Korea, Kwon showed his location as Singapore on his Twitter account at the time of publication, but a Sept. 17 report from Reuters suggested he may no longer be in the country. The Terra co-founder is a South Korean national. Dual citizenship in South Korea is generally not permitted with certain exceptions, but it’s unclear if Kwon holds more than one country’s passport.

A prominent figure in the crypto for his involvement with Terraforms Labs, Kwon became a person of interest among South Korean authorities when Terra’s algorithmic stablecoin TerraUSD Classic (USTC) — originally TerraUSD (UST) — depegged from the U.S. dollar and dropped to almost zero within weeks. The price of Terra (LUNA) — now Terra Classic (LUNC) — also crashed amid liquidity issues reported at many platforms including Celsius.

Kwon, Terra, and certain company employees were the target of an investigation by South Korean financial authorities, who reportedly raided the offices of crypto exchanges Gopax, Coinone, Upbit, Bithumb, and Korbit in July. A South Korean court later issued a warrant for the arrest of Kwon and five individuals connected to Terra for allegedly violating capital markets laws.

Kwon posted on Sept. 17 that he wasn’t “‘on the run’ or anything similar” after the Singapore Police Force (SPF) said Kwon wasn’t in the city-state. South Korea has no extradition agreement with Singapore, and Interpol’s Red Notice can only request local law enforcement detain Kwon if he’s located.

Source: Twitter

Related: Binance to burn all LUNC trading fees following community feedback

Amid the controversy over Kwon’s location and potential arrest, Indonesian financial authorities have reportedly been working to modify existing policy to prevent similar situations among leadership at the country's crypto firms. Cointelegraph reported on Sept. 21 that Commodity Futures Trading Regulatory Agency acting head Didid Noordiatmoko said proposed changes to ensure two-thirds of directors and commissioners at crypto companies were Indonesian citizens would help leadership “from fleeing the country if any problem arises.”

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Breaking: Interpol ‘Red Notice’ issued for Do Kwon — South Korea prosecutors

The Terraform Labs co-founder faces charges in South Korea relating to the crash of the Terra ecosystems' cryptocurrencies.

Interpol has reportedly issued a “Red Notice” to law enforcement worldwide for the arrest of Terraform Labs co-founder Do Kwon.

South Korean prosecutors in Seoul on Monday told Bloomberg the international policing organization issued the notice in response to charges Kwon faces in South Korea related to the collapse of the Terra ecosystem.

The news comes only a week after South Korean prosecutors reportedly asked Interpol to issue a “Red Notice” for Kwon on Sept. 19.

A Red notice is a “request to law enforcement worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender, or similar legal action” according to the Interpol website.

It also comes less than two weeks after South Korean authorities issued an arrest warrant for Kwon and five other associates for alleged violations of the country’s capital markets laws.

Kwon was previously believed to have been residing in Singapore, but local authorities said on Sept. 17 he wasn't in the country, with Kwon saying hours later he wasn't “on the run," though he didn't reveal his location.

Related: South Korea issues arrest warrant for Terra founder Do Kwon

The Terra ecosystem Kwon co-founded crashed after its algorithmic stablecoin TerraUSD (UST) (now TerraUSD Classic (USTC)) lost its United States dollar peg in May causing billions of dollars worth of liquidations across the cryptocurrency market.

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Fugitive Founder of Turkish Crypto Exchange Thodex Arrested in Albania

Fugitive Founder of Turkish Crypto Exchange Thodex Arrested in AlbaniaAlbanian authorities have detained the founder and chief executive of the Turkish cryptocurrency exchange Thodex, who allegedly fled Turkey with customer funds as the trading platform collapsed. Faruk Fatih Ozer was wanted for fraud with a red notice issued by Interpol. Albania Captures Alleged Crypto Fraudster, Prepares to Hand Him Over to Turkish Judiciary Police […]

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Former CEO of Crypto Exchange Wex Dmitry Vasiliev Reportedly Detained in Croatia

Former CEO of Crypto Exchange Wex Dmitry Vasiliev Reportedly Detained in CroatiaDmitry Vasiliev, co-owner and former chief executive of the now defunct Russian crypto exchange Wex, has been arrested upon entering Croatia, local media reported. The crypto entrepreneur is wanted by Kazakhstan where he is accused of stealing money from an investor. Wex Executive Vasiliev Apprehended at the Airport in Zagreb Belarus-born Dmitry Vasiliev, former CEO […]

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Report: Nigerian Trio Allegedly Uses Money Laundering Proceeds to Buy Bitcoins Worth Over $43 Million

Report: Nigerian Trio Allegedly Uses Money Laundering Proceeds to Buy Bitcoins Worth Over  MillionThree Nigerian nationals are accused of using money laundering proceeds to buy bitcoin worth over $43 million from cryptocurrency exchange platforms like Binance and Busha. The trio is accused of moving an equivalent of over $215 million from Nigeria to Kenya between October and November 2020. Powerful Kenyan Politician Assists the Alleged Money Launderers The […]

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Ukraine Security Service Busts Criminal Group Selling Bitcoin-Stealing Malware 

Ukraine Security Service Busts Criminal Group Selling Bitcoin-Stealing Malware Law enforcement authorities in Ukraine have exposed a crime ring specializing in cryptocurrency theft and laundering of illicit funds for hackers. The gang, which provided services to clients on the darknet, has been dismantled as a result of a joint operation carried out with the United States. Cybercriminals From Ukraine Launder Millions, Offer Flash Drives […]

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