Axel Humlesjö | Honeytraps, Sparrows & Russian Money Laundering

Axel Humlesjö | Honeytraps, Sparrows & Russian Money Laundering

Author: Curious Worldview Production June 9, 2025 Duration: 42:48

Curious Worldview Podcast (Spotify) - https://open.spotify.com/episode/6vofLaGavfQEEGkkSmwlTi?si=0vc-V65-Qref_ZlZdj--tg


Curious Worldview Podcast (Apple) - https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/axel-humlesj%C3%B6-money-laundering-is-the-biggest/id1540424160?i=1000700665617

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Axel Humlesjö is a Swedish journalist against which money laundering, the plumbing of offshore finance and the cancerous nature of dark money, continuously crash up against.
Axel was a part of the team that uncovered systematic money laundering activities with Swedbank in the Baltics. Part of the team behind the series - The Shadow War - which exposed Russian espionage activities in the Nordics and led to the expulsion of five Russian spies from Sweden. Many other stories as well, but of course co-author of his debut book, The Honey Trap which explores Swedbank's involvement in one of the world's largest money laundering scandals and details this extensive operation for how the Russian security service uses sparrows and other means to honey trap and acquire kompromat on a broad slew of people. Honey traps were used directly to illicit compromising material to infiltrate Swedbank.
This podcast goes into Axel’s views on the evolution of journalism in a globalised world, and the significant role that money plays in shaping political landscapes. He goes as far to say it is the single biggest societal issue facing Europe and how intertwined money laundering is with currying foreign influence. 
This was recorded in person in Stockholm with Axel last December, it was the last interview I recorded before I left the country.


From the team at Curious Worldview Production comes The Geopolitics & Power Podcast, a collection of focused discussions pulled from the wider conversations of their primary show. This series zeroes in on the forces that quietly shape our world, moving beyond the day's headlines to examine the deeper cultural currents and societal shifts that define international relations. You'll hear explorations of how history, identity, and belief systems translate into real influence on the global stage. These episodes are essentially curated highlights, offering digestible insights into complex topics for anyone trying to make sense of a rapidly changing landscape. For those who find these snippets engaging, the full, in-depth interviews are available by searching for A Curious Worldview wherever you listen. This companion podcast serves as a direct line to the substantive parts of those longer conversations, all centred on understanding the intricate dance of geopolitics and power. It’s a straightforward resource for curious minds, stripping away the noise to focus on the underlying patterns that govern our collective future.
Author: Language: en-au Episodes: 80

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