There are indications that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) will raid new naira note racketeers in key commercial cities including Lagos, Port Harcourt, and Kaduna.
VANTAGE NEWS reports that EFCC announced that it arrested members of a syndicate of currency racketeers trading in the redesigned naira notes at Zone 4, Wuse and Dei-Dei axis of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, indicating on Tuesday that it would raid the new notes Racketeers in the listed states.
The commission stated that the Abuja suspects were nabbed between Saturday and Monday during an operation to halt the illicit currency trading.
VANTAGE NEWS reports that the EFCC spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, confirmed the development in a statement on Tuesday.
Findings from EFCC officials showed its operatives had penned down some commercial nerve centres in Lagos, Port Harcourt, and Kaduna, where currency hawkers are having a field day, reports The Punch.
Recall that the Department of State Services had conducted similar raids of currency racketeers some weeks back.
The planned raid by the EFCC came a day after the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefile, said the apex bank would work with law enforcement agencies such as the EFCC and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to track heavy withdrawals and arrest racketeers.
VANTAGE NEWS reports that the Department of State Services had on Monday revealed that its operatives arrested some currency traders who had turned the sale of newly redesigned notes into brisk business, alleging that the perpetrators were working in collaboration with dubious officials of some commercial banks.
Meanwhile, the EFCC while revealing that some of the money traders were working with officials of Money Deposit Banks, urged financial market operators to ensure compliance with the guidelines set by the CBN.
The EFCC added, “The suspects have made useful statements, including a disclosure that they were acting in cohort with some unscrupulous officials of Money Deposit Banks.
“The commission will extend the operation to all the major commercial centres of the country until all the syndicates involved in the illegal trade are demobilised. Financial system operators are also warned to desist from the sharp practices or risk arrest and prosecution.
“Zonal commanders of the EFCC also met with officials of various banks in their commands in an effort to ascertain the volume of the new notes issued to the commercial banks and how the banks were dispensing the monies to their customers.”
“The commanders urged the financial market operators to ensure compliance with the guidelines set by the Central Bank of Nigeria while disclosing that they have dispatched operatives across their commands to monitor the level of compliance by banks and other operators in the financial market.”
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