The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday said it nabbed members of a syndicate of currency racketeers hoarding and trading with redesigned naira notes.
EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwajaren, said that the arrest happened in separate operations in the Zone 4 and Dei Dei axis of the Federal Capital Territory on Saturday and Monday.
The operation followed intelligence on activities of unscrupulous currency speculators who were exploiting desperate citizens by offering them the new naira notes for foreign currencies at below the going rate, the anti-graft agency said.
He said the suspects have made useful statements, including disclosure that they were acting with some unscrupulous officials of Money Deposit Banks.
The commission vowed to extend the operation to all the major commercial centres of the country until all the syndicates involved in the illegal trade are demobilised.
It also warned financial system operators to desist from the sharp practices or risk arrest and prosecution.
In the same vein,Zonal Commanders of the EFCC also met with officials of various banks in their Commands.
According to Uwajaren,the meeting was 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.
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“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,”the statement added