Author: gracechurchfcp

French Court Blocks Extradition of Late Tunisian Dictator’s Daughter

Money Laundering
A French court has rejected Tunisia’s request to extradite the sanctioned daughter of late President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali over alleged financial crimes, the Paris Court of Appeal confirmed to OCCRP Thursday. Tunisian authorities accuse Halima Ben Ali, the youngest daughter of the late dictator, of several financial crimes. The charges include laundering funds allegedly acquired while her father held power from 1987 to 2011. “The investigating chamber of the Paris Court of Appeal issued a ruling on April 1, 2026, rejecting the extradition request from the Tunisian authorities for Halima Ben Ali, and lifted the judicial supervision to…

Tunisia Jails Former Anti-Corruption Chief in Move Decried as ‘Judicial Harassment’

Corruption
Human rights organizations and civil society groups condemned the detention of Tunisia’s former top anti-corruption official on financial charges as a politically motivated campaign of revenge aimed at silencing defenders of the nation’s fading democratic institutions. Chawki Al-Tabib, 62, the former head of the National Anti-Corruption Authority and a past president of the Tunisian Bar Association, was ordered imprisoned by an investigating judge on charges of money laundering, abuse of office, and the embezzlement of public funds. The judge also ordered a freeze on Al-Tabib’s assets, Tunisia’s state-run news agency, TAP, reported on Tuesday. The official narrative claims the suspected…

Japan Tightens AML & Counter-Terror Financing Expectations with Risk-Based Framework at the Core

Regulation
Key Takeaways Risk-Based Approach Elevated: Financial institutions must continuously identify, assess, and mitigate ML/FT risks as a core operational capability, not a periodic exerciseBoard Accountability Strengthened: Senior leadership is expected to take direct ownership of AML/CFT strategy, governance, and resource allocationFrom Compliance to Effectiveness: Regulators are focusing on whether controls work in practice, not just whether rules are followedData and Technology Centralized: Strong data governance and effective use of monitoring systems are now foundational to AML/CFT programsCross-Border Risk Intensified: Greater scrutiny is placed on international transactions, correspondent banking, and trade finance exposureDeep Dive New guidance from the Japanese Financial Services…

Russia Launches Probe Into $13.31 Billion Fake Invoice Tax Scheme

Tax Evasion
Russia’s Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case against members of an alleged organized group suspected of running a fake invoice scheme that caused more than one trillion rubles ($13.31 billion) in losses to the country’s budget system. According to the investigators, the group created more than 4,000 shell companies since 2023 and sold fake invoices to nearly 40,000 organizations. The Investigative Committee said the invoices contained false information about the sale of goods, the provision of services, the performance of work, and the transfer of property. The documents were then improperly included in taxpayers’ reporting submitted to the authorities.…

FinCEN Looks to Rewrite AML Rules, Shifting the Focus From Paperwork to What Actually Works

Regulation
Key Takeaways From Volume to Value: FinCEN is proposing a shift away from paperwork-heavy compliance toward measuring how effectively institutions detect and stop illicit finance.Risk-Based Programs Reinforced: Firms would have greater latitude to focus resources on higher-risk areas, rather than spreading efforts thinly across low-risk requirements.Supervisory Clarity: The proposal seeks to reduce subjectivity in exams by distinguishing between design flaws and implementation failures.2024 Proposal Scrapped: The rule replaces FinCEN’s earlier 2024 proposal and aligns with the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2020.Deep Dive There has long been an unspoken tension at the heart of anti-money laundering compliance. Banks file more reports,…

French Cement Giant Convicted of Financing Terrorism

Counter Terrorist Financing, Terrorism
A Paris court on Monday convicted French cement giant Lafarge and eight former executives of financing terrorism, ruling they paid jihadist groups millions to keep a Syrian plant running during the country’s civil war. Former CEO Bruno Lafont was sentenced to six years in prison, effective immediately. Seven other former executives received prison terms ranging from 18 months to seven years. The criminal court also fined the company 1.125 million euros ($1.32 million) for the terrorism charge, and levied a joint 4.57 million euros ($5.35 million) customs fine against Lafarge and four executives for violating international financial sanctions. During the…

Moldovan Vladimir Plahotniuc Sentenced to 19 Years for Crimes, Including “Billion Dollar Bank Fraud”

Fraud, Prosecutions
A Moldovan court on Wednesday found businessman Vladimir Plahotniuc guilty of participating in the country’s ‘Billion Dollar Bank Fraud,’ sentenced him to 19 years in prison, and ordered the seizure of more than 1.1 billion Moldovan lei (roughly $64 million) in assets. The verdict by a panel of judges at the Chișinău Court said Plahotniuc “created and managed a criminal organization that committed several crimes, including fraud and money laundering, in particular the theft of financial means from the banking system of the Republic of Moldova with their subsequent laundering.” A former member of parliament, deputy speaker and leader of…

AMLA Moves to Standardize AML Risk Assessments Across Non-Financial Sector, Invites Early Industry Input

Regulation
Key Takeaways Unified AML Risk Framework: The Authority for Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism is developing a common methodology for assessing money laundering and terrorist financing risks across the EU non-financial sector.Supervisory Alignment: The framework is intended to help national supervisors focus on higher-risk areas and guide decisions on the frequency and intensity of both on-site and off-site inspections.Early Industry Engagement: AMLA is hosting an online roundtable on 4 May 2026 to gather stakeholder input before launching a formal consultation on the methodology.Targeted Participation: Invitations have been extended to EU-level trade associations and representative bodies covering non-financial…

US Congressional Committee Chips Away at Corporate Transparency Act

Regulation
A Republican-led House committee voted on Tuesday to effectively dismantle a landmark anti-corruption law, advancing legislation that would exempt American business owners from a federal requirement to disclose their true identities to the government. The House Financial Services Committee voted 26 to 25 to repeal the Corporate Transparency Act, a bipartisan measure enacted in December 2020. In its place, the panel advanced the Repealing Big Brother Overreach Act, a bill with strong Republican backing and 191 co-sponsors that would significantly narrow the scope of federal financial disclosures. Under the proposed replacement, foreign nationals would still be required to report their…

EU Greenlights New Law to Standardize Anti-Corruption Penalties

Corruption
The European Council on Tuesday adopted a landmark directive aimed at aligning the prosecution of corruption across the bloc and ensuring that maximum penalties for such offenses are “not set too low.” According to the Council’s statement, the new directive will standardize the EU’s legal framework by replacing two decades-old legislations, a 2003 law on private-sector corruption and a 1997 convention regarding corruption involving EU and member-state officials. First proposed in May 2023, the directive is set to unify the legal definition of corruption among member states and “establishes a common level of penalties to sanction such offenses.” The new…

Canada to create powerful financial crimes agency as US weakens its approach

Regulation
Canada is to establish a new and powerful law enforcement agency to investigate financial crime, in stark contrast to the US, where weakened federal investigators have struggled to pursue fraudsters and the White House has pardoned convicted money launderers. A bill to create the Financial Crimes Agency (FCA) completed its first reading in parliament this week. The legislation was introduced by the governing Liberals and with their parliamentary majority, the party is likely to move it through both levels of government quickly. The new agency, tasked with investigating and prosecuting financial crimes, is the result of a public inquiry that…

Crime and Policing Act 2026: corporate criminal liability unbound

Legislation
The Crime and Policing Act received Royal Assent on 29 April 2026, further expanding the circumstances when organisations may be criminally prosecuted for wrongdoing by senior staff. The Act now applies the less restrictive model of corporate criminal liability, first seen in the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 in relation to certain economic crime, to all offences — a development that is likely to broaden legal, compliance and governance risk across all industry sectors. What the law said before Section 196 of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (“ECCTA”) created an expanded route to prosecute organisations…

Will changes to the UK’s money laundering rules help or hinder crooks and kleptocrats?

Legislation, Money Laundering
The UK government has unveiled significant changes to the rules for how UK firms mitigate and manage money laundering risks. Some tweaks tightening up the rules are welcome but without robust supervision others could make the UK more vulnerable to dirty money. So what are the main changes and what is their likely impact? Undue diligence? UK anti-money laundering rules require many businesses – such as law firms, accountants, and banks – to do proper checks on the money they handle. These ‘due diligence’ checks require them to look into who they are dealing with and what’s behind their business…

SFO launch appeal into suspected home heating & insulation fraud

Fraud
The SFO is investigating allegations of fraud by three UK companies in relation to Energy Company Obligation 4 (ECO4), a UK government energy efficiency scheme designed to tackle fuel poverty and help reduce carbon emissions. At the heart of the investigation are allegations that Warmfront Team Ltd, JJ Crump and South Coast Insulation Services were involved in a sophisticated conspiracy across the country to undermine a government scheme by submitting claims where little or no work was undertaken. It is suspected that energy companies were defrauded of at least £44 million in this way. Working with the National Crime Agency,…

Taiwan and Singapore Add to Growing Action Against Alleged Cambodian Crime Group

Fraud
The Taipei District Prosecutors Office announced Wednesday that it has indicted 62 individuals and 13 companies and seized more than $170 million in assets linked to Prince Group, heightening global action against the Cambodia-based conglomerate accused of running extensive online fraud operations. Included among the three principal defendants in the Taiwanese charges is Chen Zhi, the chairman of Prince Group who was extradited from Cambodia to Beijing earlier this year Chen Zhi’s legal representatives did not respond to a request for comment before publication. The Prince Group has said allegations made by U.S. and U.K. authorities are “baseless and appear…

Tunisia Jails Ex Prime Minister and Billionaire in Major Corruption Ruling

Corruption, Prosecutions
A Tunisian court has handed prison sentences to former Prime Minister Youssef Chahed, businessman Marouan Mabrouk—the son-in-law of former President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali—and several other former ministers on corruption charges. Chahed, who served as prime minister between 2016 and 2020, was sentenced Monday to six years in prison, along with former ministers including the foreign minister, finance minister, state property minister, human rights minister, and information and communications technology minister, the state-run TAP news agency reported Tuesday, citing a judicial source. The court also ordered each defendant to pay a fine of 800 million dinars (about $276 million).…

U.K. Lifts Sanctions on British Financier Tied to Russia’s Shadow Fleet

Sanctions
The U.K. government this week lifted sanctions against a British financier who purchased ships that later became part of Russia’s so-called shadow fleet, following his public warning that others should avoid any business dealings that could support Moscow. John Michael Ormerod, 75, was added to the U.K. sanctions list in May 2025 after acquiring dozens of second-hand tankers that Lukoil, Russia’s second-largest oil producer, used to transport billions of dollars’ worth of oil. In a February statement, Ormerod said the designation — a rare case of a Western government sanctioning one of its own citizens — had a “devastating impact”…

Report Describes Crypto’s $350 Billion Shadow War

Sanctions
Crime syndicates and hostile states — specifically Russia, North Korea and Iran — are increasingly turning to cryptocurrency to launder money and evade sanctions, according to a new report that estimates $350 billion has been laundered globally between 2005 and 2025. The study, Confronting the Illicit-Finance Hydra in Crypto Markets: Protecting Retail Investors and Disrupting Hostile Government Exploitation, examined 164 documented money-laundering cases over the past two decades. It found that cryptocurrency has enabled designated individuals, terrorist groups and entire countries to sidestep sanctions and “process billions of dollars, either voluntarily or involuntarily.” In an interview with Organized Crime and…

Jailed Istanbul Mayor İmamoğlu Faces Mass Corruption Trial

Corruption, Prosecutions
The imprisoned former mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem İmamoğlu, appeared in court on Monday to face sweeping corruption and organized crime charges in a mass trial that rights groups say is politically motivated and could result in a prison sentence of more than 2,000 years. İmamoğlu, a leading rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, is being tried alongside more than 400 co-defendants, most of them officials or associates tied to the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, which he has led since 2019. Prosecutors accuse him of heading a criminal organization that allegedly used municipal contracts, bribery and rigged tenders to generate money and…

Sanctioned Alleged Member of ‘Criminal’ Conglomerate Bought $17 Million in London Properties

Sanctions
An alleged member of Prince Group — the Cambodia-based conglomerate the U.S. calls a “transnational criminal organization” — owns at least $17-million worth of London properties, company and land records show. Yang Jian was named in a sanctions notice last year in a list of 146 U.S. Department of the Treasury targets for alleged online fraud and human trafficking by the Prince Group. Records show that Yang Jian purchased a dozen house units and at least 17 car parking spaces in an adjoining garage through a U.K. company he established with his Cypriot passport in December 2021. Conveyancing documents filed…

AI Accelerates UK Fraud Cases to a Record 444,000 in 2025

Fraud
Fraud in the United Kingdom surged to unprecedented levels in 2025, with reported cases hitting a record 444,000, according to new data released Thursday by the fraud prevention service Cifas. In its annual Fraudscape report, the agency noted that an average of more than 1,200 fraud cases were recorded daily. Identity fraud remained the most prevalent threat, accounting for 54 percent of all filings, followed by misuse of facility, which represented 24 percent of cases. The agency cautioned that fraud has become an industrialized, cross-border threat, with criminal syndicates now “mimicking the size and structure of large corporations,” according to…

German Prosecutors Target Providers of Software Used to Steal Millions in Online Trading Scams

Fraud
In a sign that prosecutors in Germany’s Bamberg region are ramping up efforts to fight cybercrime, a court has begun hearing its second case involving a person accused of providing software allegedly designed to facilitate fake investment scams. While legal action has most often targeted people running cyberfraud operations, Bavaria’s Bamberg Regional Court this month began another trial of someone who ran a company that allegedly enabled scammers. Opening arguments began on March 2 in the trial of a man identified only as “Shay B.” To protect privacy, full names are typically not disclosed to media in German trials. He…

France’s Ex-President Sarkozy Appeals Conviction in Libya Corruption Case

Corruption, Prosecutions
Anti-corruption watchdogs are closely monitoring the historic appeals trial of former French President Nicolas Sarkozy this week, pointing to his conviction for soliciting illegal campaign cash from the Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi as a stark reminder that top-level political graft is never a victimless crime. The 71-year-old former president is challenging a September ruling that sentenced him to five years in prison, a 100,000-euro (about $117,000) fine and a five-year ban from public office. He was acquitted on several other counts due to insufficient evidence, and ultimately spent only 20 days behind bars before an appeals court ordered his release.…

Philippine Vice President Faces Impeachment Over Corruption and Assassination Threats

Corruption, Prosecutions
Philippine lawmakers on Wednesday opened formal impeachment hearings against Vice President Sara Duterte, initiating a high-stakes political showdown fueled by accusations of massive corruption and extraordinary threats to assassinate President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The proceedings represent a stunning rupture between the country’s two top leaders. Duterte, 47, faces a litany of severe charges, most notably the alleged embezzlement of 612.5 million pesos (about $10.19 million) in confidential government funds during her first 18 months in power. According to reporting by OCCRP’s media partner in the Philippines, Rappler, the sweeping complaints transmitted to the House of Representatives include financial fraud, corruption…

A Billion-Dollar Casino Scheme and a Murder in Cambodia Expose Taiwan’s Underworld

Financial Crime
In a stark illustration of the sprawling scale and violent stakes of Taiwan’s criminal underworld, authorities announced the indictment of 10 individuals in a $1.03 billion money laundering scheme on the same day a notorious gambling fugitive was assassinated in Cambodia. The twin developments highlight how Taiwanese illicit financial networks routinely exploit regional borders to wash illegal proceeds and evade justice across Southeast Asia. According to a statement from the Yunlin District Prosecutors Office, a sophisticated criminal syndicate successfully laundered more than NT$33 billion ($1.03 billion) in illegal gambling profits by exploiting credit card loopholes on the gaming floors of Macau,…

Arrest made in multi-million pound waste packaging fraud case

Fraud, Money Laundering
An individual in Birmingham has been arrested as part of an investigation into waste plastic packaging fraud and money laundering, the Environment Agency has announced today (Thursday 26 March 2026). In a dawn operation taking place yesterday (Wednesday 25 March 2026), officers from the Environment Agency worked with West Midlands Police to arrest a 49 year old man for conspiracy to defraud and money laundering. The arrest relates to a complex investigation which involves fraud within the Packaging Producer Responsibility (PPR) regime. This is a system that allows exporters and reprocessors, accredited by the Environment Agency, to sell credits for…

INTERPOL report warns of increasingly sophisticated global financial fraud threat

Financial Crime
Financial fraud is now one of the world’s most severe and rapidly evolving transnational crimes, with significant economic and human consequences.The 2026 INTERPOL Global Financial Fraud Threat Assessment warns that with increased global criminal collaboration, fraud is no longer a peripheral threat, it is at the centre of polycriminality, intersecting with organized crime, human trafficking and cybercrime.Key findings include:AI-enhanced fraud is 4.5 times more profitable than traditional methods. “Agentic AI” systems can autonomously plan and execute complete fraud campaigns – from reconnaissance to ransom demands.Sextortion is now being systematically integrated into scams such as romance and investment fraud often using…

Major operation targets one of Scotland’s most violent crime networks

Organised Crime
One of Scotland’s most violent organised crime networks has been hit in an international operation across Spain, Türkiye, and the United Kingdom, with coordination from Europol and Eurojust. On 27 March 2026, authorities arrested 13 suspects linked to a network suspected of moving hundreds of kilograms of cocaine into Scotland and laundering millions in criminal profits. The action day brought together authorities from Spain and the United Kingdom, with Europol deployed on the ground to support the enforcement phase. Authorities from the United Arab Emirates and Türkiye also contributed to the operation.Open in modalMajor operation targets one of Scotland’s most…

New sanctions to crackdown on large-scale fraud

Fraud
The Isle of Man has brought in new sanctions as part of an international crackdown on a criminal network linked to large-scale online fraud and human trafficking, the government has said.The Treasury said measures were in line with the UK and formed part of a wider operation involving the US and other international agencies.It said the sanctions aimed to target individuals and organisations linked to purpose-built “scam compounds” in south east Asia, where trafficked people were forced to carry out online fraud.Home Affairs Minister Jane Poole-Wilson said: “Working with our international partners is essential in tackling serious criminal groups.”She said:…

Star’s former CEO and lawyer broke Corporations Act, Chinese money laundering case judgement find

Money Laundering
Star’s former top boss and its legal counsel both breached their director’s duties during the casino’s scandalous Chinese money laundering era, the Federal Court has found. In a seething judgement, Justice Michael Lee found only partly in favour of the corporate regulator ASIC, which bought the case against a group of Star executives and directors in 2022. ASIC’s case was filed after news of the explosive money laundering scandal broke at Australia’s second biggest casino. The culture of senior management was “dysfunctional” and “unethical”, Justice Lee noted in his remarks. He added that it fell to investigative journalism and a…

Action against EUR 306 million money laundering network

Money Laundering
Following investigations into a criminal group suspected of laundering at least EUR 306 million of illicit profits from drug trafficking and other crimes, 13 people have been arrested in France and Romania. Investigations coordinated through a joint investigation team at Eurojust revealed that the group had been operating in France and Romania between 2018 and 2024. Consisting of dozens of members operating from Romania and France, the criminal group is suspected of having laundered illicit profits from crimes such as drug trafficking. They set up a sophisticated international operation involving multiple legal entities in France, which they took over and…

Europe’s anti-money laundering body set to be fully operational in 2028

Money Laundering, Regulation
BRUSSELS, Feb 4 (Reuters) – The European Union’s new agency formed to fight dirty money said on Wednesday it was on track to be fully operational in 2028, as it set out its plan to tackle emerging illicit finance risks including crypto and “novel payment channels”.The Anti-Money Laundering Authority (AMLA) is being established in Frankfurt, creating the first Europe-wide body to fight illegal financial flows.Make sense of the latest ESG trends affecting companies and governments with the Reuters Sustainable Switch newsletter. Sign up here.From 2028, AMLA will directly supervise 40 EU financial institutions judged to present the biggest risk. AMLA…

8 African economies facing heightened global scrutiny over money laundering controls in February 2026

Money Laundering
Eight African countries are under ‘increased monitoring’ by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), known as the grey list.Grey listing does not impose sanctions but signals to global financial institutions that enhanced scrutiny is required.Each grey-listed country, including Algeria, Angola, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, DRC, Kenya, Namibia, and South Sudan, is undertaking specific reforms to strengthen regulatory frameworks.For emerging African economies, exiting the grey list is seen as a significant milestone signaling stronger regulation. When it places a country under increased monitoring, it means the jurisdiction has identified strategic weaknesses in its financial crime prevention systems and has formally committed to…

MONEYVAL calls on Guernsey to step up efforts against money laundering

Money Laundering
The Council of Europe’s anti-money laundering body, MONEYVAL, has published a report urging Guernsey to improve the investigation, prosecution and conviction of money laundering offences whilst also highlighting Guernsey’s good understanding of the risks of money laundering/terrorist financing and its highly effective application of targeted financial sanctions. The report commended Guernsey’s Financial Intelligence Unit for producing high-quality analytical products and strategic analysis, while acknowledging the limited extent to which they are used by law enforcement authorities to initiate investigations. The quality of suspicious activity reports also remains a concern. Guernsey is expected to report back to MONEYVAL, under MONEYVAL’s regular…

Reporter’s Notebook: How to Investigate Shadow Fleets

Sanctions
In the world of maritime trade, some ships play a dangerous game of hide-and-seek. They rapidly change flags, shift ownership, and even cut their tracking systems mid-voyage. These “dark fleet” tactics are often employed by vessels involved in nefarious activities such as sanctions evasion, arms trafficking or illegal fishing. At first sight, the trail of such ships can appear hard to follow. Yet the evidence is often still there, scattered across open sources. With perseverance, it can be possible to uncover more information about who is behind these shadowy vessels. As an example, we’ll walk you through some of the…

Cash rules everything in the age of money laundering

Money Laundering
For years, investigative journalists have salivated over that old heuristic “follow the money”. Deep Throat’s instruction to Robert Redford’s Bob Woodward in All the President’s Men, delivered in a shadowy car park, has become the North Star for uncovering financial crime and corruption. In his alarming new book, Everybody Loves Our Dollars, Oliver Bullough makes a compelling case that we’ve been looking in the wrong direction. To truly understand the global money-laundering industry, he argues, you need to think a lot bigger. Criminals today have sophisticated ways of making money disappear, “like a wizard in the Harry Potter books” –…

Understanding the hidden links between human trafficking and corruption

Corruption, Human Trafficking
Around the world, traffickers rely on public officials and private actors who collude, accept bribes or simply look the other way. This hidden alliance allows organized crime to flourish, victims to remain trapped and justice to be obstructed.To understand how these two crimes are connected, we uncover the hidden role corruption plays in enabling human trafficking: What is the link between corruption and human trafficking? Human trafficking involves the exploitation of people through forced labour, sexual exploitation, organ removal, or coerced criminality. Corruption enables traffickers to operate at scale, providing them with documents, protection and silence. Without corruption, trafficking networks…

US Bars Palau Senate Leader Over Alleged China Ties

Bribery
The U.S. barred the president of Palau’s Senate from entering the country over allegations he accepted bribes to promote the interests of China’s government and criminal figures. The U.S. State Department has barred the president of Palau’s Senate from traveling to the United States over allegations that he accepted bribes to advance the interests of China’s government and Chinese criminal figures, according to a department statement. The travel ban announced Tuesday targets Hokkons Baules, the president of Palau’s Senate, and Anderson Jibas, a former mayor from Marshall Islands. “Baules abused his public position by accepting bribes in exchange for providing…

Korea’s Financial Intelligence Unit Sets 2026 Anti-Money Laundering Priorities

Money Laundering
Key Takeaways Freezing Criminal Funds, Faster: KoFIU wants the authority to freeze accounts tied to serious livelihood crimes without waiting for court orders, aiming to cut off criminal proceeds before they disappear.Cross-Border Crime Moves to Center Stage: International criminal groups would be added to prohibited transaction lists, alongside deeper coordination with foreign counterparts and FATF-led initiatives.Crypto Oversight Tightens Again: The travel rule would extend to lower-value transactions, with closer scrutiny of transfers involving personal wallets and overseas exchanges.AML Accountability Shifts Upward: Financial institutions would need to place clear AML responsibility on a senior executive, backed by mandatory evaluations and clearer…

Chinese Crypto Scam Fugitive With St. Kitts Passport Owns Dubai Property

Money Laundering, Regulation
Daren Li, who has fled a 20-year sentence for for his alleged role in stealing and laundering $73 million in Cambodia-based cryptocurrency scams, rents out a villa in Dubai Daren Li, a Chinese and Saint Kitts and Nevis national on the run from a 20-year United States prison sentence for his role in a large Cambodia-based cryptocurrency scam operation owns property in Dubai, real estate records show. Tenancy contract data shows that under his Saint Kitts passport, Li owns a five bedroom residential villa in Wadi Al Safa 7, a gated community in Dubai’s suburbs. As of last year, this…