Greetings from Sarajevo, 

Summer is here, but OCCRP isn’t slowing down. This week we published three big investigations about cigarette smuggling in the Middle East and phosphate exports from Syria. In mid-July, we'll be hosting a live online discussion with a prominent Russian journalist who has been forced to flee his country. 

Before we share the details, we wanted to highlight some promising news from the United States, one of the world's largest hubs for dirty money, which is poised to pass landmark legislation in the fight against kleptocracy. 

Last week, U.S. legislators approved the inclusion of the ENABLERS Act into the next defense budget.

The ENABLERS Act was introduced shortly after the publication of the Pandora Papers, which exposed how art dealers, trust companies, law firms, and other entities in the U.S. are rife with money derived from corruption and criminal activity. 

The new legislation would force professionals in these sectors to report suspicious activity to the Treasury Department. Similar due diligence requirements are already in place on banks, which must flag dubious transactions to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN).

This bill won’t shut off the spigot of illicit money flows, but it could make the professional enablers of financial crime a bit more reluctant to help. 

Now, for the latest in global crime and corruption: 

NEW INVESTIGATIONS

🇸🇾 Tracking Ships With Syrian Phosphates — Syria has managed to export over $80 million worth of phosphates — a key ingredient in fertilizers — to Serbia, Ukraine, and four EU states since 2019. Read the full story. 

🔎 How We Did It: Several ships turned off their “automatic identification systems,” which track their movements, as they approached the Syrian port of Tartous.

But that didn’t stop reporters from figuring out where the ships went and what they transported. 

Reporters used port documents, satellite images, and social media to identify several vessels that picked up phosphates before heading to European markets. 

🌐 The Big Picture: The European Union has used harsh rhetoric and sanctions against Bashar Al-Assad’s regime as well as the Russian elites who have supported it.

But the bloc does not specifically prohibit the purchase of Syrian phosphates, a major economic lifeline for the embattled regime. Some experts say this loophole reflects deficiencies in the Western sanctions program.

🇮🇶 #1 Iraq’s (Knockoff) Marlboro Man — Nizar Hanna Nasri has built an empire on contraband tobacco, fostering relationships with powerful figures in the region while feeding billions of cigarettes into black markets around the world. 

Leaked corporate intelligence documents from tobacco industry insiders offer the most detailed portrait yet of the “father” of Iraqi cigarette smugglers. Read the full story.

🇮🇶 #2 Hussein-Linked Tobacco Tycoon — Waheb Tabra became one of Iraq’s most powerful cigarette tycoons with the help of Saddam Hussein’s eldest son, Uday. Since the fall of Saddam, he’s struck deals with everyone from regional leaders to the Islamic State. Read the full story.

🌐 The Big Picture: These investigations show how ostensibly legitimate businessmen made their fortunes from black market cigarettes, capitalizing on connections to government officials and organized crime. 

REPORTING ON RUSSIA

💻 Webinar with a Russian Journalist 🇷🇺 You’re invited to our next talk with Russian journalist Roman Anin, the editor in chief of Important Stories (IStories). In conversation with OCCRP senior editor Ilya Lozovsky, Anin will share insights and answer questions about his experience investigating Russia from exile.

🗓️ July 19, 2022
🕚 09:00 ET/15:00 CEST

You can watch the event by donating any amount to OCCRP. Access to webinars like these are one of many benefits you receive by becoming an OCCRP Accomplice.

OCCRP CENSORED

🇧🇾 Belarus Member Center Blocked — Belarus’s Ministry of Information has blocked the site of Belarusian Investigative Center (BIC), an OCCRP member center.

When attempting to access BIC site, users from Belarus encounter a message stating that “the information resource had been blocked due to the decision of Belarus Ministry of Information”.

ORGANIZED CRIME NEWS

Balkan Cocaine Wars: Montenegrin authorities are investigating the murder of Milić Minja Šaković, a leading member of the cocaine clan known as the Škaljari.

The Škaljari have been fighting with the Kavač, another Montenegrin gang, which has left a bloody trail throughout Europe. OCCRP published an investigation on this ongoing gang war in 2020.

Credit Suisse Convicted: A Swiss court ordered Credit Suisse, the country’s second largest lender, to pay roughly $22 million for failing to prevent a Bulgarian crime ring from laundering their drug money. The case marks the first time a domestic bank has been found guilty of a corporate crime by Swiss authorities.

OCCRP and partners highlighted the case earlier this year as part of the Suisse Secrets investigation.

CORRUPTION NEWS

Belarus in #DubaiUncovered: Our Belarusian member center found several allies of Alexander Lukashenko’s regime who own property in Dubai, a center for money laundering. 

Kazakhstan Targets Nazarbayev’s Wealth: The Kazakh government continues to scrutinize the wealth of former president Nursultan Nazarbayev, who ruled the country for nearly 30 years, and his family members. 

• Six members of Kazakh parliament have asked the government how it plans to take back $3.9 billion that was given to Jusan Bank, which is controlled by a “charitable” foundation linked to Nazarbayev. OCCRP exposed Nazerbayev's lucrative foundations in this bombshell investigation. 
• The ex-president’s brother is also being investigated for allegedly taking over shares of a mining company.