Binance senior executive has escaped arrest by Nigerian authorities using a fake passport

What’s new? The Nigerian authorities opened a criminal case against the crypto exchange Binance for tax evasion, it will be considered in the capital’s supreme court. It also became known that the Binance senior executive in Africa Nadeem Anjarwalla left the country on a fake passport. He, along with his colleague Tigran Gambaryan, was detained in Abuja when he arrived to negotiate with authorities over claims against the exchange.

Material by Cointelegraph

What else is known? In February, the Nigerian authorities blocked the website of Binance and other leading crypto exchanges to curb speculative activity. They later announced their intention to fine Binance $10 billion for conducting illegal transactions that contributed to the collapse of the nation’s currency. In early March, Binance removed trading pairs with the Nigerian naira and stopped supporting the asset in all services.

It was later revealed that Anjarwalla and Gambaryan were arrested upon arrival in the Nigerian capital on February 26. The court authorized the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to detain them for 14 days and also ordered Binance to give the government access to local user data. As Binance failed to comply with the order, the court extended the arrest of the top executives for another 14 days.

Anjarwalla and Gambaryan had been in detention for several weeks at a hotel in Abuja. On March 22, Anjarwalla, who holds dual British and Kenyan citizenship, escaped from custody after being taken to a nearby mosque for prayers and left the country on a Middle East Airlines flight.

It is still unclear how the senior executive managed to board the international flight, as the British passport he entered Nigeria with was confiscated when he was arrested. According to a migration official, Anjarwalla used a Kenyan passport, which he did not have at the time of his arrest.

Earlier, Binance commented on the claims of the Nigerian authorities, assuring that it intends to promote responsible development of the crypto industry in the country. According to officials, the exchange contributed to the laundering of more than $20 billion.