Maputo, 25 Jul (AIM) – The kidnappings plaguing Mozambican cities have generated, since 2014, over 33 million dollars in money laundering, according to the Strategic Analysis Report (RAE), published by the Mozambican Financial Intelligence Office (GIFiM), which is a specialist unit in the Ministry of Economy and Finance.
According to the document, which analyzes money laundering communications and information from January 2014 to May 2024, resulting from kidnappings, the amount was “concealed in various accounts, held by the suspects, close relatives of the suspects and companies, controlled by the suspects and/or their close relatives, followed by the illicit export of capital under various pretexts with a view to concealing its criminal origin.”
“GIFiM found out that an amount of over 2.1 billion meticais, equivalent to over 33 million dollars, was moved as result of money laundering with related crimes of kidnapping followed by a ransom demand, extortion, private imprisonment, illegal possession of weapons, moral coercion, physical coercion, assassinations, association to commit crime/criminal offences, tax offences, illicit export of capital, fraud, forgery of documents, and financing of terrorism”, declares the document.
GIFiM explains that the kidnappings “were identified in high-risk locations in Mozambique, particularly Maputo city and province, as well as the central provinces of Manica, Sofala, thr northern province of Nampula and South Africa”.
The criminals “resorted to front or fictitious companies and some legitimately incorporated companies, potentially with the involvement of some professionals such as lawyers and bank officials”, reads the document.
According to GIFiM, there is evidence to suspect the involvement of some members of the Mozambican defence and security forces and magistrates.
“It was found that the individuals suspected of involvement in the kidnapping operations used the bank accounts of close family members or of companies controlled by them or their family members, to introduce funds resulting from the victims‘ ransom demands, mostly in cash, disguising them as funds resulting from business and commercial activities”, GIFiM added.
The document also warned of the possible development and institutionalization of the “kidnapping industry” to include foreign hostages, which would undoubtedly lead to an increase in the amounts of extortion.
According to a report, presented in March by Interior Minister Pascoal Ronda, the Police have recorded a total of 185 cases of kidnapping and at least 288 people have been arrested on suspicion of involvement in this type of crime since 2011.
(AIM)
Ad/pf (400)
