Bangladesh, Jan. 8 -- Portugals most powerful investigative prosecutors have taken over a money laundering probe involving a Ukrainian film producer tied to an alleged multibillion-dollar cryptocurrency fraud network, underscoring growing international concern over the intersection of crypto scams, celebrity promotion, and cross-border financial crime.

An elite unit of Portugals Public Prosecutors Office, the Central Department of Investigation and Penal Action (DCIAP), has assumed control of an investigation into Elvira Gavrilova Paterson, a Ukrainian public relations executive and producer of an upcoming Kevin Spacey film. Gavrilova is accused of maintaining close ties with Vladimir Okhotnikov, a Russian crypto entrepreneur facing crim...