How Iran uses proxies, shadow banking and criminal cut-outs to fund external operations and evade sanctions.

Iranian-linked plots, surveillance activity and intimidation operations are drawing growing concern across Europe. But behind these activities sits a wider financial and logistical architecture that allows Tehran and its proxies to move money, evade sanctions and support operations abroad.

In this episode of the Suspicious Transaction Report, Kinga Redlowska is joined by Matthew Levitt, Director of the Reinhard Programme on Counterterrorism and Intelligence at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, to examine how Iran's external operations are evolving and what this means for Europe.

They discuss the use of criminal intermediaries, online recruitment and low-cost 'gig economy' tasking; the role of oil revenues, front companies and shadow banking in financing Iran's proxies; and the connections between sanctions evasion, procurement networks and operational activity.

The conversation also considers Europe's response, the need to close gaps between counterterrorism, counterintelligence and organised crime investigations, and why stronger political will, enforcement capacity and cross-border cooperation will be essential as Iran's networks become more global, flexible and difficult to disrupt.

How Chinese money laundering organisations exploit capital controls, criminal cash and informal value transfer systems to move illicit wealth across borders.

Chinese money laundering organisations have become a growing concern for law enforcement, policymakers and the private sector. But how do these networks operate, why are they attractive to organised crime groups, and what makes the UK vulnerable? Host Tom Keatinge is joined by Kathryn Westmore and Teddy Nicholson.

Previously at RUSI, Kathryn is now a Senior Associate Fellow of the CFS programme and author of the SOC ACE research paper Flying Money, Hidden Threat Understanding the growth of Chinese Money Laundering Organisations.

Teddy Nicholson is with the NCA's National Economic Crime Centre where he leads their strategy to tackle international illicit finance, to explore the rise of Chinese money laundering organisations, the role of underground banking and informal value transfer systems (IVTS), and the demand created by China's capital controls.

Together with Tom, they discuss why these services are used by organised crime groups including those involved in the cocaine trade, how money laundering networks are adapting through crypto, fintech-style tools and cross-border criminal services, and how law enforcement agencies and the regulated sector can respond.

Money, media and influence networks are turning political grievances into engines of power and profit.

Populist movements are reshaping politics across Europe and North America. But beyond the rhetoric, rallies and social media campaigns lays a critical question: who is funding this political transformation – and why?

Host Tom Keatinge is joined in this latest episode by Liam Byrne MP, author of Why Populists Are Winning and How to Beat Them, to explore the financial architecture behind contemporary populism. They examine the 'supply side' of populist politics: the role of major donors, offshore money, media ownership, opaque influence networks, algorithmic amplification, why political finance can no longer be viewed separately from media influence and national security, and, ultimately, who profits from the resulting political turbulence.