Iran to arrest foreign currency possessors without bank receiptJanuary 16, 2012 - 13:56 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Iran's Central Bank has announced that anyone in possession of foreign currency without a bank receipt will be put under arrest beginning Sunday, January 15, Payvand News reported. Ebrahim Darvishi, the supervising deputy of the Central Bank, said that according to a new directive, foreign currencies without a bank receipt will be considered as contraband, and violators will be subjected to imprisonment and a fine of double the amount in their possession. He added that security forces will arrest anyone on Ferdowsi Street and other locations engaged in the sale of foreign currencies. He said any exchange of foreign currencies is now prohibited unless it is made through banks and legal foreign exchange bureaus, adding that foreign currencies will only be sold at the rate determined by the Central Bank. The rial has been in a free fall since the Central Bank was put under sanctions by the United States and so far has not achieved a balance. The dollar has traded at as high as 18,000 rials in the past two weeks, compared to just over 10,000 rials at the same time last year. The Iranian government has been making every effort to control the price of the dollar, while at the same time denying that the collapse of the foreign currency market has any connection with new international sanctions. On Jan 16, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to demand tougher sanctions against Iran, including the country’s Central Bank. Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | International cybercrime ringleaders arrested in Armenia, Ukraine Europol, Europe's crime agency, has arrested four ringleaders of several cybercrime networks that used botnets. Armenia skips CSTO Defense Ministers meeting A meeting of the Council of Defense Ministers of the Collective Security Treaty Organization countries began in Almaty. Armenian, Iranian foreigh policy chief talk over the phone The Foreign Minister of Armenia once again expressed condolences to his counterpart on the death of the President of Iran. Armenia, U.S. customs authorities to boost assistance with new deal The government has approved an agreement with the U.S. government on mutual assistance between the customs authorities. |