Nadeem Anjarwalla, a top executive of the cryptocurrency exchange Binance, has been arrested in Kenya.
According to Kenyan Police Service sources, Anjarwalla, who had previously escaped from Nigeria, is now facing extradition back to the country, with International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL) leading the efforts.
Government insiders, speaking under the condition of anonymity disclosed that the arrest was made late Sunday.
“Binance executive, Nadeem Anjarwalla, has been arrested by the Kenya Police Service, and he would be extradited to Nigeria this week by INTERPOL,” one source revealed.
This arrest follows a series of investigations led by Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which had tracked Anjarwalla to Kenya after his escape from the Nigerian authorities.
The EFCC, alongside INTERPOL and the police forces of both Nigeria and Kenya, have been in discussions to expedite the extradition process.
Previously, Anjarwalla was reported to have gone into hiding upon his arrival in Kenya.
“We have found him. We know where he is; he is in Kenya, and we’re working with the authorities to bring him back to Nigeria,” a source stated earlier, highlighting the collaborative efforts to apprehend the executive.
EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede, in the March edition of the agency’s bulletin “EFCC Alert,” confirmed the wide-ranging international cooperation in the case.
“The takeover of the prosecution of Binance chiefs by the commission sends a strong message about EFCC’s resolve to address distortions and disruptions in Nigeria’s forex market,” Olukoyede said.
He further elaborated on the charges, mentioning, “tax evasion, currency speculation, and money laundering to the tune of $35,400,000 are at the foundation of the Commission’s five counts against Binance Holdings Limited, Tigran Gambaryan and Nadeem Anjarwalla.”
While Gambaryan is currently detained by the Commission, efforts to bring Anjarwalla to justice are intensifying.
“Involved in partnership with the EFCC to nick Anjarwalla in flight are the International Criminal Police Organisation, the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation, the governments of the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland, and Kenya as the clock winds down to his arraignment in absentia alongside the company and Gambaryan,” Olukoyede added.
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