Investigation Service shuts down 22 illicit currency exchange offices

Officers from the Investigation Service of the Ministry of Finance of Georgia have uncovered and shut down 22 illegally operating currency exchange offices across the Adjara and Guria regions.

An inquiry revealed that these exchange offices violated legal requirements and operated without a license from the National Bank of Georgia.

As part of a large-scale, coordinated operation, simultaneous searches were carried out at 22 locations under court warrants. During the raids, officers seized an exceptionally large amount of Georgian and foreign currency, computer equipment, and specialised devices used for currency conversion.

The total value of the seized currency exceeds 500,000 Georgian Lari (GEL).

Active investigative measures are ongoing to identify and prosecute all individuals involved in these illicit operations.

The investigation is being conducted under Article 192, Part 2, Sub-paragraph “a” of the Criminal Code of Georgia (illegal entrepreneurial activity), which carries a penalty of three to five years’ imprisonment.