The Central Office for Combating Organized and Transnational Crime is searching the homes and 15 commercial establishments of 40 defendants accused of exporting 330,241,242.39 dollars, equivalent to 21,135,439,512.96 meticais, between 2019 and 2023.
The raids, called Stop Money Laundering (Stop BC), are taking place in the cities of Maputo, Matola, Nampula and Nacala. So far, five citizens have been arrested and various documents and equipment have been seized.
The 40 defendants, including nationals and foreigners, are accused, among other things, of money laundering; forging documents; tax fraud; abuse of fiscal trust; criminal association; and using false documents.
According to a note from the Public Prosecutor's Office (MP), the suspects set up front companies to export capital from illicit and in some cases unknown sources.
The accused had the collaboration of customs brokers and bank employees who "falsified the terms of Bank Intermediation and Customs Clearance Processes that they used to export capital, under the pretext of importing goods into various countries, mainly those considered tax havens".
The Public Prosecutor's Office says it has already activated International Legal and Judicial Cooperation with around 12 countries identified as recipients of the funds, with a view to mutual legal assistance and the respective recovery of assets.
The case file of the detained defendants will be submitted to the investigating judge for first questioning, while steps are taken to capture more of those involved.
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