Forced labour ban enforced as US detains car tyres under new import order
On 18 December 2025, U.S. Customs and Border Protection issued a new Withhold Release Order (WRO) covering certain automobile tyres manufactured in Serbia by Linglong International Europe D.O.O. Zrenjanin. The effect is immediate and practical: shipments of the covered tyres arriving at US ports are detained, and they do not enter the United States market […]
Cannabis rescheduling under Trump: What it really changes for banks, SARs, and cannabis risk
In December 2025, the Donald Trump administration issued an executive order directing the federal government to expedite moving marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III under the US Controlled Substances Act. For banks and compliance teams, the headline question is practical: does this finally end the era of “routine cannabis SARs”, where institutions file suspicious […]
New Zealand’s Modern Slavery and Worker Exploitation Bill could bring mandatory reporting for large organisations
New Zealand is moving again on modern slavery reform, this time with a bill designed to put clear, business-facing expectations into law. In late January 2026, New Zealand National Party and New Zealand Labour Party MPs lodged a co-sponsored Modern Slavery and Worker Exploitation Bill, using a parliamentary mechanism that allows a Member’s Bill to […]
£160,000 OFSI penalty: how a spelling variant slipped through Bank of Scotland’s Russia sanctions controls
OFSI has issued a £160,000 monetary penalty to Bank of Scotland Plc (part of Lloyds Banking Group) after the bank processed payments linked to an account held by a UK-designated person under the Russia sanctions regime. On paper it is a straightforward enforcement action. In practice, it exposes familiar pressure points in sanctions controls. What […]
The SFO’s message for 2026: Evidence beats box-ticking
If 2025 was the year the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) refreshed its expectations of corporate behaviour, 2026 is when organisations will be judged against them. On 26 November 2025, the SFO published refreshed guidance on how it evaluates corporate compliance programmes. The headline is simple: having policies and controls does not automatically mean your programme […]
UK regulatory outlook for financial crime compliance January 2026: SFO issues new bribery red flags and raises the bar on corporate cooperation
As 2026 begins, the UK is sharpening its focus on bribery, fraud and anti-money laundering (AML). The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has released new guidance for businesses on identifying foreign bribery indicators, along with updated guidance on corporate cooperation. In addition, the government has published its UK Anti-Corruption Strategy 2025, outlining its approach to tackling […]
CEO sentenced to eight years in prison for international bribery and money laundering scheme
A US federal court sentenced Carl Alan Zaglin, owner and chief executive officer of Georgia‑based manufacturer Atlanco LLC, to eight years in prison for his central role in a complex international bribery and money laundering scheme. The sentencing took place on 2 December 2025, following a high‑profile trial in Miami that exposed unlawful conduct spanning […]
New Zealand’s Crimes Amendment Bill is a major step in the fight against modern slavery
New Zealand (Aotearoa) is making significant strides in addressing modern slavery and human trafficking with the introduction of the Crimes Amendment Bill. Introduced in early December 2025, the bill promises to close some of the major gaps in New Zealand’s existing slavery and trafficking offences in the Crimes Act. This update comes at a critical […]
EUDR delayed again: what changed, what is now fixed, and what businesses should do in 2026
The EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) was meant to become operational at the end of 2024, then it was pushed to the end of 2025. Over the Christmas period, the EU agreed a second delay and a set of targeted changes that shift who files what, and when. The regulation is a major supply chain compliance […]