US, UK Impose Sanctions On Gold Mafia Figure
The United States and Britain have sanctioned individuals and businesses linked to global gold smuggling and money laundering networks in Zimbabwe.
Kamlesh Pattni, a key figure in the gold industry, is among those sanctioned. He is accused of smuggling gold from Zimbabwe and facilitating illicit activities by bribing officials and masking ownership through a network of businesses.
The US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned Pattni and 27 other individuals and businesses on International Anti-Corruption Day. These sanctions target global gold smuggling and money laundering activities.
Pattni was exposed in Al Jazeera’s “Gold Mafia” documentary, aired in March last year, where he was linked to smuggling gold from Zimbabwe to the United Arab Emirates.
The US Treasury Department stated that Pattni’s activities have robbed Zimbabwe’s citizens of the benefits from their natural resources while enriching corrupt officials and criminal actors.
The “Gold Mafia” documentary also featured Uebert Angel, Zimbabwe’s ambassador-at-large, who was secretly recorded promising to help launder US$1.2 billion in illicit funds.
Acting Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Bradley Smith said:
Across the globe, when corrupt actors like Pattni choose to exploit openings in governance structures to benefit themselves and their cronies, communities suffer and public trust is undermined.
Corruption respects no borders and its consequences are felt worldwide. As we mark International Anti-Corruption Day, the United States reaffirms our commitment to use all available tools to hold these individuals to account for their schemes
The UK has also imposed sanctions on Pattni “to tackle dirty money, this time targeting the illicit gold trade”. The UK said in a statement:
Illicit gold is an assault on the legitimate trade of a valuable commodity, fuelling corruption, undermining the rule of law and entrenching human rights abuses such as child labour…
Today’s sanctions will disrupt and deter the illicit gold trade by imposing asset freezes on five individuals, including infamous British-Kenyan gold smuggler Kamlesh Pattni and his enablers.
Pattni smuggles illicit gold out of southern Africa for use in money laundering and was implicated in the Goldenberg corruption scandal in the 1990s.
The Gold Mafia is a four-part investigative documentary series by Al Jazeera’s Investigative Unit. It exposes a network of criminal syndicates in Southern Africa that use gold to launder money from illicit activities.
The series reveals how these groups bribe and corrupt officials, banks, and diplomats to facilitate their operations.
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