Currency Racketeering: EFCC Arrests 115 Suspects In Enugu, Recovers N110m, Other Currencies

The Enugu Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) announced that, in partnership with a Joint Task Force (JTF), they apprehended 115 individuals suspected of engaging in currency racketeering along Owerri Road, Ogui, in Enugu State.

A statement by the EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, on Thursday said the JTF, which comprised five teams from the Nigeria Police Force and three teams from the Nigeria Customs Service, arrested the culprits on Wednesday following credible intelligence.

He said that out of the 115 suspects arrested, 113 were males and two were females.

He further said the operatives swung into action when they got information about some bureau de change operators, currency speculators, and street hawkers operating illegal foreign exchange markets in the environment.

Oyewale mentioned the items recovered from the suspects to include N110, 700,000, $8,368, £145, €2,725, and 900 South African Rands.

Others are CFA 32,000, 100 Turkiya, and 500 Bank Mozambique currencies in different denominations.

A safe abandoned by one of the street hawkers was also recovered.

He said preliminary investigations showed that some of the suspects are foreigners from the Niger Republic.

He added that they would soon be charged in court at the end of investigations.