The Sunday News
Vusumuzi Dube, Online News Editor
THE Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RZ) Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) has swooped in on illegal foreign currency dealers, naming and shaming individuals that have been abbusing mobile telecommunications services to further their illegal deals.
In a statement, RBZ governor, Dr John Mangudya revealed that they had aince instructed banks to freeze the bank accounts linked to the 30 individuals hat have since been exposed as well as barring them from operating mobile lines.
“The Financial Intelligence Unite (FIU) has identified individuals who are abusing mobile telecommunication services and other social media platforms to promote and facilitate illegal foreign currency exchange transactions and money laundering activities.
“The FIU has instructed banks, mobile money operators and other financial services to identify and freeze any accounts operated by these individual, and further, to bar them from assessing financial services for a period of two years, with immediate effect. The FIU has requested the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Potraz) to bar the said individuals from operating mobile phone lines,” said Dr Mangudya.
The governor warned future perpetrators that the FIU in collaboration with law enforcement agencies will continue to monitor various social media and bank accounts to identify and take action against perpetrators of illicit deals.
“Over and above the corrective measures of barring the delinquent individuals from accessing banking and financial services and operating mobile phone lines, the FIU has forwarded their names and particulars to law enforcement agencies for prosecution,” said Dr Mangudya.
Last year in June, the RBZ announced that it was joining hands with the police and Potraz to track and arrest some unscrupulous individuals using mobile phones to conduct illegal foreign currency trading.
