Hong Kong FIs Urged to Deploy AI Against Illegal Gambling Funds

19/10/2026

Hong Kong authorities are pushing banks and payment providers to leverage AI to detect and block illicit gambling transactions.

Fraud, Scams & Cybercrime

Hong Kong Dismantle HK$14m Agarwood and Crypto Investment Scam

19/10/2026

Six individuals have been arrested in Hong Kong for operating a cross-border investment fraud involving agarwood trees and cryptocurrency.

Anti-Money Laundering

Hong Kong Sanctions Six Insurance Intermediaries Over AML Control Breaches

19/10/2026

The IA has suspended or banned six intermediaries for up to 13 months over false bank draft declarations.

Anti-Money Laundering

India Amends Mauritius Tax Treaty to Curb Misuse by FPIs

19/10/2026

India has notified an amendment to its tax treaty with Mauritius, introducing a Principal Purpose Test to curb tax avoidance and treaty shopping.

Cryptocurrency

Korea's Jeonbuk Bank Launches First Bitcoin-Backed Corporate Loans

19/10/2026

Jeonbuk Bank has executed South Korea’s first KRW-denominated corporate loan collateralised by Bitcoin, utilising a third-party custody structure to navigate existing regulations.

Anti-Money Laundering

Vietnam Proposes Tougher Penalties for Gambling and Lottery Violations

19/10/2026

Vietnam's Ministry of Finance has drafted new decrees to tighten administrative enforcement and align gambling sector regulations with AML laws.

Fraud, Scams & Cybercrime

Thai Police Dismantle Transnational Investment Scam

19/10/2026

Thai authorities have arrested 39 suspects and seized over THB 500 million in assets linked to a transnational investment scam and money laundering syndicate.

Structural Regulation

Industrial Bank of Korea Launches Vietnam Subsidiary After Nine-Year Wait

19/10/2026

The Korean state-run lender becomes Vietnam's tenth wholly foreign-owned bank subsidiary, with a mandate to support SMEs and Korean businesses.

Market Risk

Indonesia Intervenes as Stock Market Plunges Following MSCI Warning

18/10/2026

Bank Indonesia has pledged continuous market intervention after the rupiah breached 18,000 per dollar and stock trading was temporarily halted.