Anti Money Laundering News (19 Jan – 25 Jan 2026)
Welcome to this week’s edition of the Global AML News Weekly Digest. Here are the top stories making headlines around the world:
🇦🇺 Australia orders AML/CTF audit of Airwallex
Australia’s financial intelligence agency, AUSTRAC, ordered fintech firm Airwallex to undergo an external AML/CTF compliance audit after identifying suspected weaknesses in its controls.
AUSTRAC stated it had concerns around Airwallex’s transaction monitoring, customer due diligence, and risk assessment frameworks. The audit will assess whether the company has complied with obligations under Australia’s AML/CTF Act.
The regulator emphasised that the action is supervisory and does not constitute a finding of non-compliance at this stage, but warned that enforcement could follow if serious breaches are confirmed.
🇨🇾 CySEC fines regulated entities €2.3 million and tightens AML oversight
The Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) imposed administrative fines totalling €2.3 million on multiple supervised entities for breaches of AML and sanctions compliance requirements.
CySEC cited failures including inadequate customer due diligence, weaknesses in transaction monitoring systems, and insufficient internal controls. Alongside the fines, the regulator announced stricter supervisory expectations and enhanced enforcement scrutiny going forward.
The action forms part of Cyprus’ broader effort to strengthen its AML framework and address international concerns regarding financial crime risks.
🇹🇼 Taiwan Cabinet approves amendments strengthening counter-terrorism financing and AML controls
Taiwan’s Cabinet approved amendments to the country’s Counter-Terrorism Financing Act, significantly expanding the legal framework governing terrorism financing, proliferation financing, and related AML obligations.
The amendments broaden the definition of prohibited conduct to explicitly cover the financing of terrorism and weapons proliferation, including indirect funding and facilitation through third parties. Authorities stated that the changes are intended to close legal gaps exposed by evolving cross-border financial crime risks and international sanctions regimes.
Under the revised framework, financial institutions and designated non-financial businesses will face enhanced obligations to monitor, identify, and report suspicious transactions linked to terrorism or proliferation financing. The amendments also introduce stricter penalties, including higher fines and potential prison sentences, for individuals or entities found to have violated the law.
Officials said the changes are designed to align Taiwan’s legal regime more closely with FATF standards and to strengthen enforcement tools available to prosecutors and regulators when addressing high-risk financing activities.
🇲🇾 Malaysia charges former army chief in defence-linked money laundering case
Malaysia charged former army chief Hafizuddiean Jantan with money laundering in connection with a high-value defence procurement scandal.
Prosecutors alleged that illicit proceeds were channelled through multiple accounts and assets to disguise their origin. The charges were brought under Malaysia’s Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act.
The case marks one of the highest-profile AML prosecutions involving a former senior military official in the country.
🇪🇸 Banco Santander EUR 40 Mn AML fine impacts Openbank controls and investor risk
Spanish banking group Banco Santander disclosed regulatory penalties linked to historical AML control deficiencies, with implications for its digital banking arm Openbank.
The fine related to failures in customer onboarding and transaction monitoring processes, prompting Santander to enhance governance, compliance staffing, and internal oversight. Analysts noted that AML remediation costs and heightened regulatory scrutiny could affect operational risk assessments and investor sentiment.
Santander stated that corrective measures have been implemented and that cooperation with regulators remains ongoing.
🇩🇰 Saxo Bank fined €50 million for AML breaches; sale price adjusted
Denmark’s Saxo Bank was fined €50 million by Danish authorities for serious AML compliance failures, including deficiencies in customer due diligence and transaction monitoring.
The fine had a direct financial impact on Saxo’s ownership transaction, resulting in an adjustment to the bank’s sale price. Regulators stated that the breaches exposed the financial system to elevated money laundering risks over an extended period.
Saxo Bank acknowledged the findings and confirmed that substantial investments have been made to strengthen its AML framework.
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