ChainCatcher news, according to Bloomberg, the main suspect in the UK’s 60,000 Bitcoin money laundering case and the Tianjin Lantian Ge Rui 43 billion yuan illegal fundraising case, Qian Zhimin (phonetic, alias Zhang Yadi), was arrested in April this year and charged with two counts of money laundering. The UK’s Crown Prosecution Service accused her of holding and transferring illegal cryptocurrency on or before April 23. A man named Seng Hok Ling was also charged alongside her; he pleaded not guilty to a charge of participating in money laundering arrangements knowing or suspecting that the property was criminal. The trial is set to begin on September 29, 2025, at Southwark Crown Court. "Her lawyer stated after the hearing: 'Ms. Zhang denies all criminal charges and plans to actively defend herself.'"

ChainCatcher news, according to the Nikkei, a joint task force composed of the Cyber Special Investigation Division of the National Police Agency and police forces from 9 prefectures including Saitama Prefecture arrested 26-year-old Yuta Kobayashi, whose address and occupation are unknown, on suspicion of committing fraud using a computer. Kobayashi is believed to be the leader of the group, with losses exceeding 100 million yen (approximately $667,100). The group allegedly abused the highly secretive Monero to attempt money laundering, and Kobayashi's identity was determined through tracking the flow of funds. The National Police Agency stated that this is the first time in Japan that Monero has been analyzed to identify a suspect.

ChainCatcher news, according to Cointelegraph, Uniswap previously announced that the Unichain mainnet is scheduled to launch later this year, and some criminals are taking the opportunity to promote fake websites for scams on the Google advertising platform.The blockchain analysis platform Scam Sniffer reports that scammers have meticulously created a counterfeit website that closely resembles the official Unichain website and have placed it at the top of search results by purchasing Google ads. Although the ad displays the real Unichain website URL, clicking on it redirects users to the fake website. Once users connect their wallets, the site will continuously send transaction requests, intending to deplete the cryptocurrency assets in the users' wallets.

ChainCatcher news, according to Decrypt, the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) of Ireland has stated that it has been unable to access the Bitcoin seized from drug dealer Clifton Collins since 2020. These Bitcoins are currently worth approximately $378 million and are stored in 12 wallets. Collins claims that the file containing the wallet seed phrases was lost during a burglary. He began investing in Bitcoin in 2011 when the price ranged from $0.30 to $29.The CAB seized these Bitcoins in 2020, when they were valued at around $56 million. The Irish High Court ruled that these assets were derived from criminal activity and ordered their transfer to the CAB. However, due to the inability to access the wallets, these Bitcoins have remained frozen for the past four years. During this time, the price of Bitcoin has risen from about $9,000 to over $62,000, significantly increasing the value of this seized Bitcoin.

ChainCatcher news, according to CoinDesk, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime has called on Southeast Asian countries to classify unlicensed currency service businesses or virtual asset service providers (VASP) as criminal offenses. The agency stated in a report released on Monday that some VASPs (including those linked to known criminals) are facilitating transactions for fraud organizations and high-risk gambling websites.The report mentioned that an unnamed entity conducted "at least hundreds of millions of dollars" in transactions with criminal organizations. This includes groups associated with or directly involved in large-scale drug trafficking, human trafficking, cybercrime, and child sexual abuse materials, as well as entities sanctioned by the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and wallets linked to North Korea's Lazarus Group.Masood Karimi-Pour, the regional representative of the Office on Drugs and Crime, stated in a declaration: "Governments need to recognize more than ever the seriousness, scale, and impact of this genuine global threat, and prioritize solutions to address the rapidly evolving criminal ecosystem in the region."

ChainCatcher news, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) announced on Tuesday that it has seized $6.4 million worth of cryptocurrency as part of an investigation into the organizers behind the encrypted communication application Ghost used by organized crime groups.32-year-old suspect Jay Je Yoon Jung from New South Wales was arrested on September 17 during "Operation Kraken" and now faces multiple charges, including supporting a criminal organization.Authorities will transfer the seized funds to secure storage. Under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, these assets will be restricted. The act aims to disrupt criminal networks by confiscating illegal property.

ChainCatcher news, the U.S. Attorney's Office stated in a release that Indiana man Evan Light pleaded guilty on Monday to charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering, and stole cryptocurrency worth over $37 million from nearly 600 victims.Court documents show that in February 2022, Light was involved in a cyber intrusion that targeted an investment holding company located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The documents also allege that Light was accused of stealing personal information, which he then used to steal assets from hundreds of victims.The statement said, "Under Light's control, the stolen cryptocurrency was subsequently transferred around the world, including to multiple mixing services and gambling websites, to conceal his identity and hide the virtual currency."

ChainCatcher news reports that, according to an announcement from the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. government has seized over $6 million in cryptocurrency from overseas criminals, which is suspected to be linked to a cryptocurrency trust investment scam. The perpetrators of this scam lured U.S. citizens into transferring cryptocurrency through a fraudulent investment platform, ultimately funneling the funds into wallet addresses controlled by criminals. The FBI tracked the victims' funds through blockchain and identified multiple wallet addresses that still hold the victims' funds. This case is being investigated by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia and the FBI's Knoxville field office.FBI Assistant Director of the Criminal Investigation Division Chad Yarbrough issued a statement regarding the cryptocurrency seizure case. Yarbrough stated that such scams are destroying countless American lives every day, with many victims even mortgaging their properties multiple times in search of "the next big investment opportunity," resulting in significant losses.

ChainCatcher news, the Central Seoul Police Station is pursuing a criminal gang that is robbing under the pretext of virtual asset trading. The gang violently threatened the victim on the 23rd in an apartment office in Jung-gu, Seoul, forcibly taking a bag containing approximately 180 million won in cash. The victim was planning to conduct a face-to-face virtual asset transaction in their office at the time of the crime and refused to hand over the money to the gang, stating, "I haven't received the coins yet."The police have arrested four suspects, including the main perpetrator, and have applied for an arrest warrant for the main suspect. They are currently tracking the whereabouts of the remaining three suspects.

ChainCatcher news, according to reports from Heshun Public Security, the Criminal Investigation Team of Heshun County Public Security Bureau successfully dismantled a criminal gang that specialized in defrauding victims of funds, withdrawing cash, and laundering money using USDT after meticulous investigation.In early September 2024, a local resident Zhao was scammed out of 50,000 yuan by someone impersonating a government official, and the funds were directly withdrawn from a bank in Chongqing. The investigating police officers reviewed a large amount of bank surveillance footage and transaction records, discovering that the suspects used "clients" to purchase cars and apply for loans. After obtaining the "clients'" bank card information, they sent it to foreign scammers via Telegram. Once the victim's defrauded funds were transferred to the "client's" bank account, they falsely claimed to the "client" that cash needed to be withdrawn for the car dealership. After receiving the transferred scam funds from the "client," they immediately converted the involved funds into USDT and transferred them abroad. This gang is linked to over 10 cases in Beijing, Shanghai, Anhui, and other locations.With strong support from the Municipal Bureau's Criminal Investigation Team and the County Bureau's Cybersecurity Team, the investigating officers gradually grasped the complete structure and criminal evidence of the money laundering gang using USDT, and identified the characteristics and activity range of the suspect responsible for withdrawing the scam funds.The investigating officers simultaneously carried out arrest operations in Chongqing, Henan, and other locations, capturing 7 suspects, seizing one involved vehicle, 10 mobile phones, one cash detector, and over 37,000 yuan in cash. The case is still under further investigation.

ChainCatcher news, a judge in Georgia has dismissed two criminal charges against former President and 2024 Republican presidential candidate Trump in the 2020 Georgia election interference case, as well as another charge against an ally of Trump.

ChainCatcher news, eight members of a criminal gang involved in a Chinese phone scam in South Korea were arrested by the police for assisting in converting criminal proceeds into cryptocurrency. The police pointed out that the gang used fake bank accounts for money laundering, converting 280 million won (approximately 208,000 USD) defrauded from six victims into cryptocurrency, which was then handed over to a Chinese organization, earning a commission of 10% to 40%.It is reported that to avoid police investigation, the members of the organization only communicated through Telegram.

ChainCatcher news, Ukrainian police arrested a criminal gang on Monday that is suspected of impersonating law enforcement officials and threatening a young entrepreneur with fictitious criminal charges, extorting $250,000 in USDT. According to a statement, four suspects detained by the cyber police and the National Police's Internal Security Department face up to 12 years in prison.The gang allegedly intimidated the entrepreneur, accusing him of collaborating with Russia and threatening him with long-term imprisonment for treason. They offered to "solve the problem" for $250,000 and demanded the payment be made in cryptocurrency.Concerned about the legal consequences, the entrepreneur agreed to the demands and transferred 250,000 USDT to a cryptocurrency wallet controlled by the gang. According to the statement, the criminals then quickly moved the stolen funds through a cryptocurrency exchange.

ChainCatcher news reports that the Xuhui District People's Procuratorate of Shanghai has released a notice regarding crimes related to virtual currencies. Since 2022, the procuratorate has handled 23 criminal cases involving virtual currencies, affecting 45 individuals, with the number of cases accepted showing an upward trend for three consecutive years. At the same time, related cases exhibit characteristics such as complex methods of operation, technical specialization, concealment, and high amounts of crime. In the cases handled, the average illegal gains of the criminals exceeded 1 million yuan, with some cases involving illegal gains of over 5 million yuan.In addition, according to Xinmin Evening News, in response to the increasing number and significant amounts of crimes related to virtual currencies in recent years, the Xuhui District Procuratorate and the Xuhui District Public Security Bureau have jointly signed the "Guidelines for the Disposal of Virtual Currencies in Criminal Proceedings," which provides more detailed and clear regulations for the entire process and various aspects involved in handling virtual currency cases, including evidence collection, seizure and custody, and transfer for disposal, offering specific guidance for the lawful disposal of virtual currencies involved in cases.

ChainCatcher news, according to Moneycontrol, the Indian government is investigating the potential misuse of Telegram in criminal activities, particularly extortion and gambling. If the investigation yields unfavorable results, the app may face a risk of being banned. This news comes as Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov was arrested in Paris on August 24 due to content moderation issues.It is reported that the investigation in India is led by the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, focusing on criminal activities within Telegram's peer-to-peer communication features.

ChainCatcher news, Russian cybercriminal Deniss Zolotarjovs has been charged in the United States with participating in a cybercrime organization that extorts victims and launders cryptocurrency.The 33-year-old resident of Moscow was indicted in Cincinnati, Ohio, on charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering, wire fraud, and extortion under the Hobbs Act. Zolotarjovs was arrested in Georgia in December 2023 and has recently been extradited to the United States. He is accused of being a key member of a cybercrime group that steals sensitive data from victims and demands ransom payments in cryptocurrency to prevent the release of the stolen information. The organization also operates a website that leaks or auctions stolen data.It is alleged that Zolotarjovs was involved in laundering the ransom payments. This is the first time a member of the organization has been extradited to the United States.

ChainCatcher message, Kaspersky has detected a cyber fraud activity aimed at exploiting popular topics such as web3, cryptocurrency, artificial intelligence, and online gaming to steal cryptocurrency and sensitive information. It is reported that this activity is orchestrated by Russian-speaking cybercriminals, and Kaspersky has named the cybercriminals behind this operation "Tusk." They have created fake websites that mimic legitimate services, involving imitation of cryptocurrency platforms, online role-playing games, and AI translation websites to obtain sensitive information such as credentials, while clipboard managers monitor clipboard data to replace copied cryptocurrency wallet addresses with malicious ones.

ChainCatcher News: The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina announced yesterday the seizure of nearly $5 million in Tether (USDT) related to a "pig butchering" cryptocurrency investment fraud money laundering case.Prosecutor Michael Easley stated that they are working hard to recover the funds lost by the victims. In the case, criminals lured victims into investing through fake romantic relationships and counterfeit trading platforms. The FBI successfully tracked and seized part of the funds.

ChainCatcher news, a Brazilian federal judge has ordered the dismissal of criminal charges against the late CEO of the Bitcoin Ponzi scheme Mirror Trading International (MTI), Johann Steynberg, after police investigations confirmed reports of his death.Steynberg's death certificate has been added to the case file. Following the disclosure of this news, some victims immediately defamed these claims. Some believe that Steynberg may have faked his death. At the time of his death, Steynberg's death certificate indicated that he suffered from acute respiratory failure.