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Venezuelan authorities arrest bankers for attempting to ‘demolish’ the economy
Venezuela's largest private bank Banesco

VENEZUELAN authorities have arrested 11 bankers over attacks on the country’s currency aimed at “demolishing” the economy before elections later this month.

Bosses at Banesco, Venezuela’s leading private bank, were detained yesterday as part of the Hands of Paper operation, which is investigating groups alleged to be sabotaging the economy by taking cash abroad and illegally exchanging money.

The arrests were made the day after more than 1,000 bank accounts were blocked for irregularities following a probe into illegal currency exchanges.

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