Binance Executive Evades Nigerian Custody Amid Tax Evasion Probe Using Fake Passport
Summary:
Nadeem Anjarwalla, a Binance executive detained in Nigeria for alleged tax evasion, has reportedly evaded custody using a fake passport. Despite his UK passport held by the authorities, Anjarwalla was able to fly out of the country using a Kenyan document. He had been in custody with colleague Tigran Gambaryan since February 26, following a criminal complaint leveled against them. The Nigerian government is taking a hard line against money laundering and terrorist funding via the Binance cryptocurrency exchange.
A top figure at Binance, who had been under arrest in Nigeria for alleged tax evasion, has seemingly managed to dodge his captors using counterfeit identification, as per information shared by a regional media outlet. Binance's representative, Nadeem Anjarwalla, was apprehended along with other staff members in a guest house in Abuja. Nonetheless, he purportedly managed to elude authorities last Friday, having been escorted to a nearby mosque for end-of-the-week Ramadan devotions. Despite his official UK passport remaining with Nigerian officials, Anjarwalla somehow flew from Abuja on a Middle Eastern airline. An immigration professional stated that Anjarwalla seemingly left Nigeria using a Kenyan passport, but the provenance of this second passport is currently under investigation, as he had not shown this travel document during his capture. Details suggest that Anjarwalla and his cohorts enjoyed certain allowances in their confinement, including usage of mobile phones, which may have helped him in his evasion.
Anjarwalla, who serves as the regional director for Binance in Africa, and USA citizen Tigran Gambaryan, leading financial crime compliance at Binance, were originally detained upon their arrival in Nigeria on February 26th. They were held in custody following a criminal complaint lodged against them at a local Magistrate Court in Abuja. As they continued to refuse to provide the Nigerian government with data and information about Nigerian traders on Binance's platform, in compliance with the court's order, the Court extended their confinement by another two weeks to prevent any potential interference with evidence. Steering a hard line against individuals and entities implicated in terrorist funding and money laundering involving the Binance cryptocurrency exchange, Nigeria has allegedly uncovered nearly $21 billion routed through the exchange, prompting the activities. No comment has been issued by Binance following an enquiry from Cointelegraph.
Published At
3/25/2024 11:50:06 AM
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