The journey that modified Tigran Gambaryan’s life ceaselessly was alleged to be brief — just some days. When he flew to Nigeria in February of 2024, he did not even test a bag. Tigran is a former IRS Particular Agent. He made his title investigating high-profile darkish internet and cryptocurrency circumstances. Some colleagues referred to as him the ‘Crypto Wizard’ due to his pioneering work tracing crypto transactions for legislation enforcement. Since 2021, he is labored on the world’s largest crypto trade, Binance.
Tigran was in Nigeria as a type of envoy. He was supposed to satisfy with authorities officers and present them that Binance – and crypto itself – was secure, dependable, and law-abiding.
One of the crucial vital conferences was on the headquarters of the Workplace of the Nationwide Safety Advisor. He says officers there made him wait hours. And when officers lastly got here into the room, they accused Binance of a number of crimes and of tanking the Nigerian financial system. They then informed Tigran that they weren’t going to let him go away Nigeria till they have been happy that Binance was going to treatment the state of affairs.
On right this moment’s present, in a collaboration with Click on Right here from Recorded Future Information, we hear about Tigran’s eight month detention in Nigeria. In his first recorded interview after his launch, he shares particulars about his captivity, how he survived considered one of Nigeria’s most notorious prisons, and the way he acquired out.
Extra from Click on Right here about Gambaryan:
Detained execs, a daring escape, and tax evasion fees: Nigeria takes goal at Binance The corporate man: US glacial response to Nigeria’s detention of former IRS crypto investigator rankles federal brokers Nigerian courtroom drops fees in opposition to detained Binance govt Tigran Gambaryan Tracers on the stage: Speaking with the sleuths who cracked the large crypto circumstances of the 2010s
This episode of Planet Cash was hosted by Dina Temple-Raston and Nick Fountain. It was produced by Emma Peaslee and Sean Powers. It was edited by Jess Jiang. It was truth checked by Sierra Juarez and engineered by Cena Loffredo. Alex Goldmark is our govt producer.
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Music: NPR Supply Audio – “The Crypto Heist,” “Trapped Like a Chook,” and “Menage a Moi”
