By Ken Afor
The International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), has said
that efforts are underway to locate and extradite Nadeem Anjarwalla, the fugitive Binance executive wanted in Nigeria.
This was revealed by Garba Umar, the Vice President of the INTERPOL Executive Committee for Africa, during an interview on television on Tuesday.
Umar stated that INTERPOL is actively working to track down Anjarwalla and facilitate his extradition to Nigeria to face the charges against him.
He added that the paperwork and processes for Anjarwalla’s extradition to Nigeria have already commenced.
Anjarwalla is facing tax evasion charges along with his colleague, Tigran Gambaryan, who remains in custody in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city.
The INTERPOL official explained that when a fugitive flees from a country, there are established processes that the pursuing nation will follow.
He said: “INTERPOL will only give information, assist them and inform them about the bilateral agreements and conventions that were signed to extradite a fleeing fugitive and the process is ongoing and Nadeem is not an exception.
“Be rested assured, we have all the cooperation and we are working on it and definitely, one day, he will be brought to justice, it’s just a matter of time. We have done all the paper works,” Umar stated.
It would be recalled that in March, Anjarwalla and his colleague, Tigran Gambaryan, were initially detained by the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) over allegations of currency speculation and causing the naira to plummet against the U.S. dollar.
Subsequently, the Nigerian government approached the court to compel the cryptocurrency platform Binance to disclose the names of its Nigerian traders, but the platform refused to comply. The government also filed tax evasion charges against the platform.
However, the NSA office revealed that Anjarwalla escaped from custody on March 22, 2024, while observing a Jumat prayer in Abuja.
Authorities claim he fled Nigeria using a smuggled passport. This prompted the Nigerian government to launch a manhunt for Anjarwalla with assistance of INTERPOL.
Meanwhile commenting on the escape of the Binance executive, the INTERPOL chief said: “As soon as this individual escaped, there was a massive manhunt for this individual. Many countries we believed he must have boarded a plane or go by road to, we contacted them and we got some certain information which is not possible to share on this platform.
“Be rest assured, we located where he was, how he boarded, all information about him and how he landed. We have done that to make sure that he doesn’t escape justice.”
Authorities claim he fled Nigeria using a smuggled passport. There have been reports that Anjarwalla may have fled to Kenya, where he holds citizenship, following his escape.
“I am not aware but what I can tell you is that the last destination I know on my record of this guy when he fled (Nigeria) was Kenya. That I can confirm to you,” the INTERPOL chief said when asked if Anjarwalla has been arrested in Kenya or not.
He, however, assured that the Binance executive will definitely be brought back into the country to face trial.
He added: “Yeah, once a red notice is issued, we circulate to all member countries within the 196 including where the fugitive is suspected to be hiding.
“Now, it is not only morally right but it is legally right for the country to get him apprehended, inform the requesting country that ‘the fugitive you are looking for has been apprehended and is in our custody. Can you come and take him over?’
“This is the process. He may be in Kenya, he may be in hiding, he might have even left Kenya but because of the notices we have given, wherever he is, he will be smoked out.”
