Two CEOs privately discussed undermining a Serbian broadcaster documenting anti-government protests. Then journalists revealed the call — and protests rocked the broadcaster’s owner. Journalists need your help to hold media moguls to account. Donate now: buff.ly/gItw7kL

And read about the impact: www.occrp.org/en/news/ukra...

A sadistic Russian doctor tortured dozens of Ukrainian prisoners of war — then journalists pieced together their testimony to unmask his identity. Now, “Dr Evil” faces war crimes charges in absentia. Reporters need your support to document crimes. Donate now: buff.ly/gItw7kL

OCCRP investigative reporter Jonny Wrate features on NPR’s Morning Edition to discuss our latest investigation into the sale of U.S. planes used in the global illicit drug trade. Take a listen here: buff.ly/vLN0508

Expectant mothers were left so hungry after the U.S. cut foreign food aid that one woman ate clay and charcoal. Her baby struggled to gain weight after being born prematurely. By @annamaria.bsky.social, photos by @storitellah.com & illustrations by Phoebe Ouma

Which stories mattered most in 2025? This year, we uncovered stories powerful actors would rather keep hidden, from corruption in the European Parliament to data privacy failures, sanctions dodging and hidden lobbying in Brussels. We’ve compiled the top 10 most-read investigations of the year.

A Belarusian company known for manufacturing household items has been importing Chinese-made drones and sending them on to Russia, which deploys them in its war against Ukraine. www.occrp.org/en/news/from...

James Talarico: “What leads a person to accumulate more money than they could possibly spend in a hundred lifetimes when we have people starving in this one?”

James Talarico: “The reason poverty exists is not because we can’t feed the poor, it’s because we can’t satisfy the rich. That’s exactly what we’re seeing with Elon Musk becoming the first trillionaire. This is a spiritual sickness.”

Every billionaire is a policy failure. Every trillion dollar company is a failed regulatory environment. Earth should be for all people, not just the lucky or the ruthless.

New from me: an essay on the House UnAmerican Activities Committee, and its remarkable 30 year history of witch hunts & blacklists. It chronicles the progression of how industries & academia went from capitulation to defiance,& what we can take from that today www.lawfaremedia.org/article/proc...

Trump voters will be shocked but others won't be suprised #leopardsatemyface #Politics #News

And read about the impact: buff.ly/NLaV3Bd

Read the investigation here: buff.ly/qBXokhy

A Kremlin-backed foundation secretly supported spies and propagandists in Europe. Then journalists exposed its activities, and EU nations began to investigate. Donate now and help us lift the lid on dark money: buff.ly/gItw7kL

Telegram is the pride of Russia’s IT industry — but its tech infrastructure is controlled by a man whose companies collaborated with Russian intelligence. Journalists exposed this — and Telegram responded. Donate now to hold tech’s titans to account: buff.ly/gItw7kL

James Talarico: “The reason poverty exists is not because we can’t feed the poor, it’s because we can’t satisfy the rich. That’s exactly what we’re seeing with Elon Musk becoming the first trillionaire. This is a spiritual sickness.”

Georgian prosecutors say the former head of the State Security Service took bribes to shield scam call centers that targeted victims worldwide, as authorities move against a once-powerful figure in a widening corruption case. www.occrp.org/en/news/geor...

And read about the impact: buff.ly/fBtt1k3

A group of Georgian fraudsters made millions from scamming vulnerable people — until journalists exposed them and authorities froze their assets. But reporters can’t do this work without your support. Donate now — and let’s ruin a criminal’s holiday: buff.ly/gItw7kL

Roman Anin, founder and former editor-in-chief of IStories, has had his Russian citizenship revoked after the outlet reported on the killing of Ukrainian civilians by Russian soldiers in Bucha. www.occrp.org/en/news/isto...

Trail of Drug-Linked Planes Leads Back to California Seller – and U.S. Aviation Regulatory ‘Blind Spot’ www.occrp.org/en/project/n...

From slick call centers, a group of scammers conned elderly victims into losing their life savings — until journalists exposed them. Now their assets are frozen and their holiday plans on ice. Donate to OCCRP now to help us leave criminals in the cold: buff.ly/7SlfmQz

The UN warns the “manosphere” is a rising digital threat. OCCRP tracked its new offline frontier: Marbella, where male influencers and Tate associates have built a growing hub. What’s drawing them there? Read more in our story www.occrp.org/en/feature/s...

This holiday season at OCCRP, we’re celebrating the joy of justice — swapping stories of how real-life monsters who destroyed other peoples’ lives are now finding their ill-gotten gains frozen. Donate to OCCRP and give the gift of accountability: buff.ly/7SlfmQz

Facebook is reportedly earning billions — about 10% of its revenue — from fraudulent ads. But how do these scams work behind the scenes? For this story, we investigated 81 online “investment platforms.” All built to look different. All with the same function: Stealing your money.

Life wasn’t easy in Venezuela’s impoverished fishing towns. But lately, residents say, it’s gotten worse, as locals find themselves squeezed between the U.S.’s deadly boat strikes and their own country’s repressive regime.

We looked into 81 “investment platforms” advertised online. Some claimed to be based in Zurich or Geneva. Some claimed to use algorithms developed by Elon Musk. Some claimed to partner with established brands. All were fake, and all had one goal: Stealing your money.

Italy’s justice system has removed more than 200 children from known mafia families, and enabled 34 women to leave mafia households, according to one judge. The “Free to Choose” campaign started by a judge in Calabria is now being mooted for expansion — but there are critics. buff.ly/ZndYQZb

Authorities across Europe intensified their push against Balkan-linked drug networks, carrying out coordinated raids in Germany and a separate cocaine bust in Spain. www.occrp.org/en/news/euro...

“Don’t be afraid. Disobey the mafia. Disobey these families.” Italian authorities are choosing a drastic course to tackle the mafia: stripping organized crime figures of parental responsibility and relocating their children.

Reporting by OCCRP and its partners contributed to 288 outcomes in 2025, including sanctions, reforms, arrests. In the fight against corruption and crime, investigative journalism makes a difference. But it needs allies. Join — and access exclusive benefits: membership.occrp.org/benefits/?ut...

Why combine a notorious prison and a basketball arena? OCCRP uncovers how Venezuela’s government is linking sport to regime control: www.occrp.org/en/feature/c...

Swiss-Based “Cryptomixer” Dismantled After Laundering €1.3 Billion in Bitcoin www.occrp.org/en/news/swis...

Spain, With Europol Support, Disrupts Far-Right Terrorist Group ‘The Base’ www.occrp.org/en/news/spai...

Senior Lithuanian journalists are accusing parliament of attempting to take control of the national broadcaster by making it easier for politicians to fire its director. www.occrp.org/en/news/lith...

Mexican authorities say the arrested suspect led a CJNG-linked cell that tracked and killed Uruapan Mayor Carlos Manzo, the seventh mayor slain this year in the country.

A new U.S. Coast Guard policy effective next month will reclassify the swastika as “potentially divisive” instead of a hate symbol. Because killing 6 million people because of who they are is potentially divisive. www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...

Nominate an Anti-Crime and Corruption Hero! Instead of a corrupt person of the year, we want to spotlight the unsung heroes fighting organized crime & corruption. We're offering $1,000 to the winners: docs.google.com/forms/d/1BL2...

Congratulations to Sentinel for winning the $100 million 100&Change award. Having spent time hearing their proposal, they meet a vital need and are a great organization. OCCRP was a finalist and appreciate such grants designed to make a real difference. www.macfound.org/press/press-...

Despite NDR German television killing a story about OCCRP by reporter John Goetz, a version of the story was leaked online. Grossly inaccurate and done in a purposefully misleading propaganda style, it is being used by the Hungarian government to try to shut down independent media Atlatszo.hu.

Criminal Intelligence: How Organized Crime is Weaponizing AI. Join the upcoming OCCRP Briefing. We bring together leading experts in digital forensics, financial crime, and governance to expose how AI is reshaping the criminal landscape. Join today by making a donation: mailchi.mp/occrp/your-d...

The staff, members & partners of OCCRP won or placed five times for our work in the 2025 EPPY awards. Our Scam Empire collaboration with SVT, our Dr Evil project with Schemes/RFE and our Steward Healthcare story with Boston Globe and Times of Malta all won or were runners up. www.eppyawards.com

Russians invent first drunk AI robot.

🌎Here's this week's round-the-world roundup of OCCRP's biggest stories and scoops:

From Europe to the Pacific, the Moldovan fugitive used at least six aliases and a web of forged documents - including passports from Romania, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Russia, Iraq, and Vanuatu - to move, and hide from justice. www.occrp.org/en/news/jail...

If you live in the exclusive Russian ski resort town of Krasnaya Polyana, you might soon have a new neighbor: Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko. Here’s what we know about an elite new ‘hotel complex’ — and the money behind it. www.occrp.org/en/investiga...

Masterminds of a massive crypto fraud linked to a China investment scheme are sentenced following the UK’s record 60,000-Bitcoin seizure. www.occrp.org/en/news/uk-j...

How are banned doctors crossing borders undetected? Why does information sharing between countries fail so often? What does this mean for patient safety? Hear the answers to these questions and more at our OCCRP Briefing. Wednesday, November 5, 4 p.m CET mailchi.mp/occrp/your-d...

UK accuses Iranian banker of funding Revolutionary Guard, imposing an asset freeze and travel ban against him. www.occrp.org/en/news/uk-s...