As previously discussed on this blog (click here), enforcement of insider trading laws around the world is on the rise.  In the prior post, I pointed out recent enforcement actions in countries including Holland, Colombia, UK, India, Bangladesh, and Hong Kong.  In the two months since that post, a host of countries have announced insider trading cases brought under their laws.  These include three more cases in Japan, which until recently had reportedly been quite apathetic about the enforcement of insider trading:

Not appearing on this list now or anytime soon is Russia, which according to an article today in Russia Today (click here) is among the countries that lack any insider trading laws whatsoever.  Russia Today reports, however, that a draft law to change this state of affairs was proposed by Russia's Federal Service for Financial Markets back in the spring of 2006, and will be considered in December this year.

I have mapped out the recent surge in international insider trading cases in the Google Map shown below. Click on the map for a larger, interactive version that also contains links to articles about each case.