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US and UK Sanction Key Figures in Zimbabwe’s Gold Smuggling and Money Laundering Networks

Prominent Lawyer Prof. Lovemore Madhuku to Join Uebert Angel in Press Conference on Gold Mafia Scandal
Prominent Lawyer Prof. Lovemore Madhuku to Join Uebert Angel in Press Conference on Gold Mafia Scandal

The United States and the United Kingdom have taken action against individuals and businesses linked to international gold smuggling and money laundering activities in Zimbabwe. Among those sanctioned is Kamlesh Pattni, a prominent figure in the gold trade, who faces allegations of smuggling gold from Zimbabwe, bribing officials, and using a network of businesses to hide ownership and facilitate illicit operations.

On International Anti-Corruption Day, the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control imposed sanctions on Pattni and 27 other individuals and entities involved in these criminal activities. These sanctions target the global networks responsible for smuggling gold and laundering money.

Pattni was featured in Al Jazeera’s “Gold Mafia” documentary, aired in March of the previous year, which exposed his role in smuggling gold from Zimbabwe to the United Arab Emirates. According to the US Treasury, Pattni’s actions have deprived Zimbabwean citizens of the wealth from their natural resources, while enriching corrupt officials and criminals.

In addition, the documentary featured Uebert Angel, Zimbabwe’s ambassador-at-large, who was secretly recorded offering to launder US$1.2 billion in illicit funds. Bradley Smith, Acting Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, stated that corruption by figures like Pattni harms communities globally and undermines public trust, emphasizing the US commitment to holding such individuals accountable.

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The UK has also imposed sanctions on Pattni to combat the illicit gold trade, which it deems harmful to the legitimate gold market, fueling corruption, undermining the rule of law, and supporting human rights violations like child labor. These sanctions freeze the assets of five individuals, including Pattni, and aim to disrupt the illicit gold trade.

Pattni has a history of involvement in gold smuggling and was implicated in the Goldenberg corruption scandal of the 1990s. The “Gold Mafia” documentary, a four-part investigative series by Al Jazeera’s Investigative Unit, uncovers a network of criminal syndicates in Southern Africa using gold to launder money from illicit activities, revealing how these groups corrupt officials, banks, and diplomats to advance their operations.

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