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Binance executive detained in Nigeria in crypto case escapes | Crime News
The Binance executive was arrested upon arrival in Nigeria following the crackdown on the company.
An executive from the cryptocurrency exchange Binance has escaped to Nigeria, where a criminal investigation has been opened against the platform accused of being used for money laundering purposes, according to authorities.
Nadeem Anjarwalla, the regional director of Binance in Africa, “fled Nigeria using a smuggled passport,” Nigeria’s office of the national security adviser said in a statement Monday.
Nigeria is the largest country in Africa crypto economy in terms of trading volume, with many citizens using crypto while the country experiences high inflation and a falling local currency.
“The personnel responsible for guarding the suspect have been arrested and a thorough investigation is underway to elucidate the circumstances that led to his escape from lawful detention,” said Zakari Mijinyawa, spokesperson for the security adviser’s office. National Authority of Nigeria, in a press release. statement.
The Abuja-based Premium Times newspaper, which broke the news of Anjarwalla’s escape, reported that he fled from a guest house in the capital after guards allowed him to enter a nearby mosque to pray.
The Binance executive, who holds both British and Kenyan nationality, was arrested along with another colleague on February 26 upon their arrival in Nigeria following the crackdown on the company.
Tigran Gambaryan, Anjwaralla’s colleague and a US citizen, remains in detention.
Binance executives were scheduled to appear in court on April 4.
Binance halted trading with the Nigerian currency naira on its platform in early March after authorities accused it of being used for money laundering and financing “terrorism.”
Authorities have not publicly provided evidence of these accusations.
At the same time, Nigeria’s tax agency filed a four-count tax evasion complaint against the crypto exchange, also accusing it of “complicity in helping customers evade tax through its platform “.